Milk Chocolate
Milk chocolate was invented by a Swiss gentleman named Daniel Peter, who was a close friend to his neighbor, Henry Nestle of Nestle chocolate fame. Mr. Peter sought to create a new chocolate product that would become one of the most popular on the market, and he thought a specialty item combining chocolate and milk might be the answer. It took nearly thirty years of research and testing, but ultimately, around the turn of the 20th century he was successful in creating a milk chocolate product that became widely in demand all over Europe. Milk chocolate is still widely in demand today, and milk chocolate candy currently represents 80 percent of all chocolate sales in the U.S.
Milk chocolate is derived from mixing cacao with milk fats or solids and sweeteners to create a sweet chocolate treat. It must be at least ten percent chocolate liquor by weight. By increasing the concentration of cacao in the mixture, the manufacturer can make dark milk chocolate.
Among high-end brands, Ghiradelli milk chocolate and Lindt milk chocolate stand out for their rigorous cacao bean selection process and control over the entire cycle of gourmet milk chocolate creation. The most favored milk chocolate bars are those that use a higher ratio of cocoa solids, resulting in a stronger taste of chocolate than milk or sugar. In good milk chocolate, milk and sugar never dampen the taste of cacao in the final product.
The milk chocolate bar is a fairly recent invention, with the first bars created by the Hershey Company in 1900. In 1903, Milton S. Hershey built his chocolate factory and a whole town, called Derry Church, for his workers near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The town would later be called Hershey to honor him. Hershey was also the first company to create milk chocolate almonds, in 1908.
Milk chocolates are among the most popular of confectionary in the market whether pure or mixed with other ingredients to create such appetizing treats as milk chocolate caramel and milk chocolate truffles. Milk chocolate candy encompasses a wide range of products from solid milk chocolate bars to candy containing multiple layers or combinations of ingredients. Some of the most popular ingredients for milk chocolate candy include nuts, raisins, nougat, caramel, and puffed rice. Milk chocolate today is available in preferred modern flavors such as Cookies n´ Cream and extra creamy chocolate and caramel.
With such wide variety, there is a type of milk chocolate for just about anyone.