ZAP
The chocolate in Advent calendars has a reputation for “tasting different”. It’s not just your impression: special conditions are necessary to preserve it and maintain affordable prices.
In many cases, the explanation lies in the way these chocolates are formulated to reduce costs and facilitate mass production, using vegetable fats instead of relying exclusively on cocoa butter, the natural fat in traditional chocolate.
According to , one of the most common reasons is the increased use of vegetable oils, such as palm or coconut oil. In some products, this happens through a cheaper alternative known as compound chocolate, which replaces part or all of the cocoa butter with vegetable fats. In other cases, the chocolate still contains cocoa butter, but is “cut” with vegetable oils to lower the production cost.
The result can be a slightly different flavor and, above all, a different texture: less “smooth and buttery” and more waxy, something that consumers more accustomed to better quality chocolate tend to notice. Despite being a convincing substitute, this sensory difference is often cited as the reason why calendar chocolate is not as tasty as that from a regular tablet.
There is also a practical reason: chocolates with vegetable fats are, in general, easier to shape. This is particularly useful in Advent calendars, which often have small cavities and festive shapes, requiring a product that solidifies more predictably and allows for quick and cheap production.
However, this “rule” does not apply to all calendars. Premium or recognized brand versions tend to preserve higher quality standards and a flavor profile consistent with your usual products. Cheaper options are more likely to use more economical formulations, of course.
The difference also varies by country, due to labeling rules. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that chocolate use only cocoa butter as the fat; Products with vegetable oils cannot be labeled simply as “chocolate” and often appear as “chocolatey” or “chocolate-flavored coating”, or with explicit indication of added oils.
In Portugal and the rest of the European Union, rules allow a product to be marketed as chocolate as long as it contains less than 5% of vegetable fat, which makes room for some mass-consumption chocolates to include cheaper fats while maintaining the designation.
On the other hand, minimum cocoa standards also differ: in the EU, chocolate must have at least 25% cocoa solids, while in the USA 10% “liquid chocolate” is enough.
