Dutch process chocolate - Definition and Overview

Dutch process chocolate is chocolate that has been treated with an alkalizing agent to modify its color and giving it a milder flavor. It forms the basis of much of modern chocolate candy. It is used in ice cream, beverages, and baking. The development of the Dutch process by Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J. van Houten along with his development of the method of removing fat from cacao beans by hydraulic press around 1828 were the basis of cocoa powder which simplified chocolate culture and led to the expansion of its use and laid the basis of solid chocolate candy.