You open a perfectly good chocolate bar and discover mysterious white patches. Has it gone off? Has somebody replaced your chocolate with plaster?
Usually, neither. The most common culprit is something chocolatiers call bloom. It can look alarming, but the science is surprisingly straightforward.
There are two different types of chocolate bloom
Fat bloom occurs when fats in chocolate move and recrystallise, leaving pale, greyish streaks or a slightly dusty surface. It can happen when chocolate is poorly tempered, stored somewhere warm, or repeatedly warmed and cooled. Fats from fillings such as pralines can migrate into a chocolate shell too.
Sugar bloom is different. When moisture condenses on chocolate, it can dissolve surface sugar. Once that moisture evaporates, the sugar recrystallises into a rough, whitish layer. Taking a cold bar directly into a warm, humid kitchen can cause exactly this sort of trouble.
Can you still eat it?
In an otherwise properly stored, in-date, solid chocolate bar, bloom is generally a quality problem rather than evidence of spoilage. The surface may feel grainy and the texture may not be as pleasant, but bloom alone does not mean it is unsafe.
However, blooming is not the same as mould. If a chocolate or filled product is damp, smells unusual, has visible fuzzy growth, damaged packaging or has been stored improperly, don't assume it is simply bloom. Check the label and storage instructions, particularly for products with moist fillings.
How do you prevent it?
- Keep chocolate somewhere cool, dry and away from sunlight.
- Avoid rapid temperature changes and condensation.
- Leave refrigerated chocolate wrapped while it comes back towards room temperature, if refrigeration was unavoidable.
- For chocolatiers, proper tempering and compatible fillings matter.
What we look for at Salahuddin
Getting chocolate to look glossy, release from a mould and snap cleanly is part of the craft. That's one reason tempering was such an important lesson during the development of Proper Milk. Good ingredients are only half the battle; handling them correctly matters too.
So the next time somebody announces that a white-streaked bar has 'gone mouldy', you can explain the difference. Preferably before they throw away perfectly good chocolate.
