Milk chocolate

Milk chocolate is a solid form of chocolate made from cocoa, cocoa butter, milk solids and sugar, usually with between 25 and 40 percent cocoa content. It is the most widely eaten type of chocolate, and its modern form owes much to Swiss manufacturers.

History

The earliest form of milk chocolate was a drink. In the late seventeenth century, the physician and collector Hans Sloane brought to London a chocolate beverage mixed with milk, which he had seen enjoyed in Jamaica, and it was promoted for its supposed medicinal benefits. From London the habit spread to France, where Sulpice Debauve, pharmacist to Louis XVI, introduced it at court, and it later reached the United States.

The main technical obstacle was that milk, with its high water content, did not mix easily with cocoa butter, so early attempts at eating chocolate turned out greasy and unpleasant. The breakthrough came in Switzerland. In 1875, Daniel Peter combined cocoa mass, cocoa butter and sugar with condensed milk, recently developed by his neighbour and friend Henri Nestlé, producing a solid chocolate that was at first intended mainly for making drinks. A bar for eating followed soon after, with the first brand made for that purpose, Gala Peter, launched in 1887. Rodolphe Lindt's conche gave the product a smoother texture, and milk softened its bitterness while lowering costs, since less cocoa was needed.

Switzerland became the centre of production, and brands such as Cadbury in England and Hershey in the United States made the milk chocolate bar popular during the twentieth century. Over time, cheaper forastero cocoa from West Africa became the usual raw material for this kind of chocolate.

Culture

Milk chocolate holds a firm place in everyday life, especially as a childhood treat and an afternoon snack. In Switzerland it is almost a national emblem, and many factories were built in the countryside near dairy areas, since fresh milk spoils quickly. Today it is sold as bars and tablets, and also mixed with puffed rice, chopped nuts or caramel in many forms.

Consumption is growing in markets such as China and Latin America, although most of it is still concentrated in the United States and Europe. A few large companies produce much of the world's supply, which has led to fair trade and certification schemes that aim to offer assurances about how cocoa is grown.