Compound vs couverture chocolate
When cooking with chocolate, you might wonder if you should use compound or coverture. There are a couple key differences to take into consideration when making this decision: ingredients, texture, and easiness to melt.
Couverture chocolate is ‘real’ chocolate with cocoa fat and chocolate liquor instead of vegetables oils and cocoa powder, which are used to make compound chocolate. If a chocolate has a fat source other than cocoa fat, then it is technically not true chocolate. The different ingredients contribute to different textures. Compound chocolate is smoother, silkier, and shinier than couverture. When tempered and cooled correctly, it also has a cleaner snap to it.
The benefit of compound chocolate is how easy it is to melt. It can be done quickly with minimal effort in the microwave or on the stove. The temperature at which it’s melted at isn’t as crucial either – as long as it doesn’t burn! Couverture chocolate is trickier to melt as it needs to be tempered. Tempering is heating and then cooling the chocolate to bring it to its ideal temperature for the best texture and finish. If couverture chocolate isn’t tempered when melted, it could ‘bloom’ or not set up properly.
Couverture chocolate is a higher quality and more expensive option but for desserts with minimal ingredients that need chocolate to shine, then it’s probably the better option. If you’re looking to make a dessert needing melted chocolate that compliments another flavour, compound chocolate is the way to go.