Chocolate is a popular gift on Valentine's Day. According to the Nielsen Company, Valentine's Day is the third busiest holiday for chocolate sales, following Halloween and Easter.

Chocolate connoisseurs can learn more about the different types of chocolate to find the one their loved one will find most appealing. Types include milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, baking chocolate, white chocolate, candy coating chocolate, and couverture chocolate.

Milk chocolate is produced with low levels of cocoa and high amounts of sugar and milk. In addition, it contains cocoa butter and chocolate liquor. Milk chocolate often is made up of 3.39% butterfat, 10% chocolate liquor, and 12% milk solids.

Semi-sweet chocolate is largely an American creation and term. It contains at least 35% cocoa solids and is darker than sweet dark chocolate. The amount of sugar varies across brands.

Bittersweet chocolate typically contains at least 50% chocolate liquor, but some will have between 70% and 80%. The sugar content is unregulated, so one manufacturer's bittersweet may not be as bitter as another's.

Also known as bitter chocolate, baking chocolate is pure chocolate liquor made from ground cocoa beans. It may look like chocolate, but it is used in recipes where it is combined with sugar. It should not be eaten on its own.

White chocolate has cocoa butter but no chocolate liquor or cocoa products. Therefore, it is not truly chocolate.

Candy coating chocolate has no cocoa butter and uses vegetable or palm oils in the recipe. It often is used in dipping or enrobing because of its excellent melting ability.

In the United States, the ideal standard for couverture chocolate involves a minimum of 35% cocoa solids and 31% cocoa butter. Couverture chocolate is tempered and used when coating ingredients or dipping items in chocolate.

Chocolate shines on Valentine's Day. Gift givers can select a chocolate variety that appeals most to their recipients' palates.