Everyone loves to eat candies. They are a great delicacy commonly eaten as a snack between meals or whenever you are bored. Just like candies, there are millions of fans of chocolate as well. There is always confusion among confectionary lovers about whether chocolate is candy or not.
If you are here, it means you also want to know the answer. So, is chocolate considered candy? The answer is both yes and no. There are different types of chocolate in the world. Some of them can be called candies, and some of them can not. The reason is that some chocolates fulfill the conditions of being candies while some are different.
Want more explanation? Then continue reading!
Why Is Chocolate Considered Candy?
To know when chocolate falls under the category and when it does not, you have to understand the term candy.
What’s candy?
It is a confectionery in which sugar is the main ingredient. That is the reason why it is too sweet and that it also feels good on the taste buds.
After knowing about what candy is, it is time for you to know the similarities between a bar of chocolate and delicious candy.
Both Candy and Chocolate Are made From Sugar
Just like in candies, the main ingredient in chocolate bars is sugar. But there are different kinds of bars you can buy from the market. Is the sugar content the same in all of them? No, it is not.
Those which have more liquid chocolate content have less sugar. In addition, dark chocolate contains no or very less sugar. So, such chocolates cannot be called candies.
Sugar is a vital component in both as it makes them sweet and delish. Of course, you can add artificial sweeteners to both. But still, it is the sugar that is the backbone of how candies and chocolate bars taste.
Hence, it is a no-brainer why sugar is crucial for both of these sweet delights.
In addition to sugar, there are some other conditions as well that must be fulfilled in order for a sweet to be called candy. Cakes also have sugar as the main ingredient, but you cannot call it candy.
So, let’s move on to the next reasons why chocolate is a candy!
No flour is used in Candies and Chocolate
Candies are free from flour. So, if any sweet wants to fall under the category of candy, it must be “flour-less.” So, do chocolate bars fulfill this? Yes.
Most chocolate bars don’t add flour during manufacturing. Other home recipes for making chocolate bars yourself at home also do not include any flour. However, do keep your eyes on other ingredients that might contain some flour. Generally, wafers, biscuits, and other baked items have wheat or oat flour in them.
You can flavor or color Both Candies and Chocolate Bars
In a candy, you can add any flavor or color you want. It is one of the reasons why people love this delight. Candy is itself neutral in flavor and can be crafted according to your desires.
For example, people love to add caramel flavoring and orange color to candies.
Since you can also flavor and color the chocolate bars, they can be considered candies. People love caramel and peanut butter-flavored chocolate bars. Moreover, you can also make white chocolate at home by following easy recipes.
So, these were the top reasons why chocolate is considered candy. The similarities in both of them are something to cheer about.
But wait. It’s now time to know about another side.
Why Is Chocolate Not Considered Candy?
Some experts debate that chocolate is not candy, and they have some strong points. Let’s go through them one by one.
Chocolate is not a candy when:
Sugar is less
Having high sugar levels is the first condition for chocolate to be termed candies.
Dark and Solid chocolate bars contain less sugar. The main ingredients in these types of bars are cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Only a smudge amount of sugar is added just to sweeten the taste. So, both of them are not considered candies.
Similarly, any other chocolate that contains low amounts of sugar cannot be called candies.
You have to Refrigerate
Chocolate bars can deform or melt at room temperature. Therefore, you have to put it in a fridge to protect its shape. This is not a characteristic of a candy.
Room temperature has no effect on candies. They stay in their original shape even at a higher temperature.
However, there are now chocolate bars that include stabilizers, which help to stay in shape even at room temperature.
Flour is Added
If any kind of flour is included in the chocolate, it cannot be called candy. “No flour” is one of the conditions of a product to be called candy.
Some companies add wheat or oat flour during the manufacturing of chocolate bars. Doing this will exclude the bars from the category of candy.
But if the flour is in minute quantities, then it won’t matter much.
For example, Wafers chocolate candy bars have some flour. However, it is still considered candy as the flour is present in very low quantities.
Size is Big
You can just devour a candy with a single bite only. But a chocolate bar may need two to three bites.
Solid chocolate, on the other hand, is larger in size. So, experts get one more reason to exclude it from the “candy “category.
These were the reasons experts put forward to claim that chocolate is not candy.
Candy vs. Chocolate Bar: Some Notable Differences
Even when a chocolate bar fulfills the conditions of being candy, it still has some differences from a typical candy.
Experts say chocolate is superior to candy, and quite rightly so. Chocolate is better than candies in every aspect.
Want some more details?
Then, let’s do Candy vs. Chocolate bars!
Chocolate Has Some Health Benefits While Candy Does Not
Candy is Just calories, while chocolate has some health benefits.
Let us explain!
Consuming candies is plain harmful to health. There is no doubt about it. You are just taking loads of calories in your body, which only makes bellies fat. Furthermore, your blood sugar levels also rise after eating candies, and the risks of occurring any heart disease shoot up as well.
Contrarily, chocolate is not that bad. True, it also contains sugar, but it also has antioxidants that improve blood circulation and maintain blood pressure levels. Similarly, the flavonols in dark chocolate strengthen immunity and kill free radicals. These free radicals can cause cancer in us, so getting rid of them is super important. Luckily, eating dark chocolate can kill them, and the chances of you getting cancer go way down. Moreover, oxidative stress is also lessened due to this action.
In addition to this, chocolate also improves memory and enhances brain functionality.
Main Ingredient Difference
It is true that chocolate bars contain high sugar. But that’s not it. Chocolate also contains ground cacao beans and butter as the main ingredients. Candies, on the other hand, include sugar only.
When candies are not completely made, they still taste sweet due to the sugar content. However, don’t think about eating a bar if it is during its manufacturing process. The reason is that cacao beans are a bit bitter. Adding sugar makes it sweet and eatable.
When you compare the sugar content in typical candy and a chocolate bar, it is clear that the sugar is more in candies. This sugar content is one of the big differences between a candy and a chocolate bar.
Manufacturing Process
The manufacturing process of a typical candy and chocolate bar is also different.
Making candies is simpler and takes less time. They are made by melting the sugar and then crafting them in ovals or any other shape. Lollipops (also a candy) are molded in a round shape.
A chocolate bar is made completely differently. In this, cacao beans are roasted, grounded, fermented, and then mixed with sugar and butter (optional). After all of this, companies mold the resultant mixture in their desired shapes.
Final Words
There has always been a lengthy debate about whether chocolate is candy or not. We also often used to get this question and therefore, we decided to answer it with complete details.
Chocolate can be considered candy if it fulfills some conditions. There are different kinds of chocolate now available. Some of them can be considered candy, while some can’t. Those chocolate bars containing high sugar, no flour, and can be flavored or colored are called candies. Those that don’t contain much sugar, have flour in more quantities, and are generally larger in size are just chocolates. They are not candies.
Now you know the answer!
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