When one is told to think of candy, classic treats like Nerds, Sour Patch Kids, Jolly Rachers, DumDums, Skittles, etc. are always the first thought. If you were to google candy right now, the image results would show a variety of gummy or hard candies, but not chocolate. This is because chocolate is not and should not be categorized as candy.
Candies are usually colorful, coated with and majorly consisting of sugar, and usually have some sort of fruit or artificial flavor. They are defined as “A confection made by the addition of ingredients to a sweet base derived from sugar cane or artificial sugar.” Cocoa from which chocolate is made is very bitter unless a sweetener is added. Chocolate as we know it is essentially the roasted cocoa bean ground up into a paste with some sugar added, and often some additional cocoa butter. Chocolate can be made with no sugar as well. Candy can not, its main ingredient is always sugar or artificial made ingredients.
Chocolate experts and enthusiasts would surely be offended by the categorization of chocolate as candy since many luxury chocolate brands have spent years perfecting recipes and finding the best cacao there is. Chocolate is a flavor and food in itself and not just an ingredient. No food tastes like chocolate unless it’s chocolate itself. Ask yourself, would you ever eat a Sour Patch Kid or Skittles to satisfy that craving for chocolate?
Chocolate often has a different connotation than candy. For example, If you are getting your significant other something for Valentine’s Day, giving a box of chocolates says something completely more significant than giving them a bag of candy. Chocolate implies romance, while candy is less mature and tells that person “We’re friends”. The fact that chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate cake, ice cream, drinks, and all of these exist, should be pure proof that chocolate is a flavor and its own type of sweet. Although there are some foods that are candy-flavored, gum that tastes like Skittles is not as revolutionary as a chewy chocolate chip cookie or chocolate-covered pretzels.
We’ve all been there, craving a sweet treat only to face the consequences of sugar rushes, or worse, sugar crashes. Giving in to that battle of comforting your stress with chocolate can make you feel guilty if you’re still stuck in the mindset that anything that tastes that delicious must not be a good idea. However, giving in to some chocolate cravings could be a benefit to your body. Unlike many candies that are filled with empty calories and high sugar content, chocolate, especially dark chocolate with its leading ingredient being cocoa, offers secret health benefits. Dark chocolate is known for having antioxidants containing health benefits such as reducing inflammation and improving heart health. Additionally, it provides magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc which are essential nutrients for good health. It is even proven to create mood enhancement. This provides a compelling reason to separate its greatness from the category of candy.
Though a dull person might categorize chocolate as candy, a true chocolate lover would recognize that chocolate is so much better than candy to be put in the same category. Chocolate not only has an unmatched unique taste but also offers health benefits, unlike most sugary and nutrient-lacking candies. In the world of gourmet treats, the master creators of chocolate and the crafty creators of candy never dedicate their work to both. At the end of the day, no candy could replace that velvety feel and unmatched taste one gets from a bar of good chocolate.