Aerated chocolate

An Aero bar, split to show the aerated chocolate within

Aerated chocolate, also known as air chocolate, is a type of chocolate intentionally containing gas bubbles.

Aerated chocolate is less dense than normal chocolate, creating a product with a greater volume, and a soft texture and melting experience. The most commonly produced aerated chocolate contains visible bubbles with diameters between 0.05–3.0 millimetres (0.002–0.118 in).[1]

In 1935, Aero was the first aerated chocolate brought to market. Originally made by Rowntree's, it is today manufactured by Nestlé.[1]

Chocolate foamed with nitrogen—and especially with nitrous oxide—has the most intense taste. This is due to the larger bubbles these gases produce.[2] Further research has concluded that "[t]he existing technology to control bubble size and distribution is difficult," which has led to experiments involving the creation of foams under zero-gravity conditions.[3] In 2013, Chinese scientists announced results from a study using phospholipids derived from soybeans to aerate cocoa butter.[4][5]

  1. ^ a b Peters (2017), p. 418.
  2. ^ Haedelt, J; Beckett, S T; Niranjan, K (April 2007). "Bubble-included chocolate: relating structure with sensory response". Journal of Food Science. 72 (3): E138–142. doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00313.x. PMID 17995803.
  3. ^ Nieburg, Oliver (5 July 2012). "Nestlé in space: Aerated chocolate under zero-gravity". ConfectioneryNews. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  4. ^ Nieburg, Oliver (13 March 2013). "Aerated chocolate: new method for bubbles in cocoa butter". ConfectioneryNews. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  5. ^ Su-Jia, S; Dong, C; Shi-Chao, X (March 2013). "The Foaming Abilities of Surfactants in Cocoa Butter". Journal of Food Process Engineering. 36 (4): 544–547. doi:10.1111/jfpe.12017.