Chocolate Box Guide: See What's Inside Assorted Chocolate Pieces

Life has its share of mysteries, but the contents of a box of chocolates don't have to be one of them. Fortunately for chocolate lovers everywhere—and recipients of the classic Valentine's Day heart-shaped box of chocolates—most chocolate boxes follow the same plan, largely for practical reasons.

Our chocolate box guide shows which types of chocolates are in most assorted chocolate boxes so you can easily find your favorites, all with input from a chocolate expert. Most boxes of chocolate include a mix of square, rectangular, circular, oval, bumpy, and foil-wrapped chocolates. Here, we go over the consensus among chocolate makers.
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Square and Rectangular Chocolates
Square or rectangular chocolates are almost always filled with a crunchy or chewy toffee or caramel filling. Typically, the square ones have a soft caramel filling, while the rectangular ones are chewy. (Fudge pieces can also be square but tend to be bigger than caramel-filled chocolates.)

When toffees and caramels are made, they're hot and liquid. "[They] cool on large slabs, then are cut at right angles and dipped in chocolate," explains Ward. This ensures no goodness is wasted.

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Circular and Oval Chocolates
Rounded chocolates always contain soft fillings like ganache or cream (e.g., milk or dark chocolate truffles, vanilla cream, and raspberry cream). In production, the soft centers get scooped or piped into circular rounds and then drizzled with chocolate. You'll find some rounded chocolates are domed and are also typically made with a creamy filling.

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Bumpy Surface Chocolates
If the surface isn't smooth (read: bumpy on top), it's probably a nut candy. They're essentially lumpy piles of nuts (such as peanuts, almonds, or cashews) held together with a chocolate coating. Examples include pecan delights and nut clusters. Sometimes, nut-filled chocolates come in paper linings, like peanut butter cups.

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Foil-Wrapped Chocolates
If the wrapper is foil, the chocolate probably has an ooey-gooey liquid center, like a cherry cordial. Hint: The foil protects against leaks.

Foil-wrapped chocolates can also be solid chocolates. Historically, chocolates were wrapped in foil so that chocolatiers could pass out samples to customers.