Dutch process chocolate is chocolate that has been treated with an alkalizing agent to modify its color and give it a milder flavor, among other things. It forms the basis for much of modern chocolate candy. It is also used in ice cream, hot cocoa, and baking. The Dutch process was developed by the same Dutch chocolate maker Coenraad Johannes van Houten whose development of the method of removing fat from cacao beans by hydraulic press around 1828 formed the basis for cocoa powder and simplified chocolate culture. The Dutch process accomplishes several things:
- Lowers acidity
- Increases solubility
- Enhances color
- Lowers flavor
The Dutch process destroys flavonols (anti-oxidants), which are beneficial from a health point of view. Therefore if one is seeking to consume chocolate for the sake of the anti-oxidants, unDutched cocoa or hot chocolate is more suitable. [1]
