Chocolate has been a beloved sweet treat for centuries, but is it really candy? It certainly looks like candy, with its sweet taste and colorful wrappers. Chocolate comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes – from bars to truffles to cookies – and it can be found in every CANDY aisle, so it certainly is treated like candy. But on the other hand, it doesn’t have the same sugary sweetness or texture as other traditional candies, especially when you take dark chocolate into consideration.
So what’s the verdict? Is chocolate candy or not?
Let’s start by looking at the definition of candy. According to Merriam-Webster, candy is “a confection made with sugar or syrup combined with fruit, chocolate, or nuts.” This definition would seem to indicate that chocolate is indeed candy. After all, it contains sugar and cocoa beans are from a fruit.
The debate gets even more complicated when you consider the fact that there are different types of chocolate. For example, dark chocolate is made from cocoa beans that have been roasted and ground into a paste. Milk chocolate is made from cocoa beans that have been processed with milk and sugar. White chocolate is made from cocoa butter and sugar. All of these varieties contain sugar and could technically be considered candy, but they don’t necessarily fit the traditional definition of candy.
Is it candy or not Mike?!?
The answer largely depends on who you ask.
If you’re talking about a Hershey bar or a Snickers bar, then yes, it’s definitely candy. But if you’re talking about a high-end chocolate truffle or an artisanal dark chocolate bar, then it’s probably not considered candy.
Those who favor candy that is very sweet will most likely say NO, it’s not candy, since chocolate isn’t always sweet, therefore it shouldn’t qualify as candy ever.
Chocoholics will insist that because of the artisanal nature of chocolate and its complex flavors and aromas, that it shouldn’t be considered candy either.
Some people will argue that ANYTHING in the candy aisle of a store is candy.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference. Some people may consider any type of chocolate to be candy while others may only consider certain types of chocolates as such. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what you consider to be candy and what you don’t.