WHY WHITE CHOCOLATE ISN'T CHOCOLATE... WAIT, IT REALLY IS
Will the real chocolate please stand up?
The official definition of chocolate (in the U.S.) says it must include a certain percentage of cocoa solids (the source of dark chocolate color and aroma), which are not present in white chocolate.
So why is white chocolate called chocolate?
White chocolate does contain cocoa butter, which may have been the deciding factor in the FDA's decision to grant it official chocolate status — after a mere 10 years of presentations, pleading, and pressure from chocolate manufacturers.
How to recognize a real white chocolate when you see one
There are good (real) and not-so-good (fake) versions of white chocolate out there, so look for products with a creamy pale yellow color (but no food coloring added), made with at least 20% cocoa butter — less may extend its shelf life.
