A method of preparing chocolate so that it will not develop fat bloom. Chocolate that will be used for dipping or coating must be tempered, which also gives it a glossy quality, free of streaks. The classic tempering method is to melt chocolate until it is lump free. Then 1/3 of the chocolate is poured onto a marble slab, spread and worked back and forth with a metal spatula until it becomes thick and reaches a temperature of about 80 degrees. This chocolate is then added back to the remaining 2/3 of the melted chocolate and stirred. The process is repeated until the entire mixture reaches 88-92 degrees for semi-sweet chocolate, 84-87 degrees for milk or white chocolate. Care must be taken not to over temper chocolate, which brings it back to its original state - grainy and susceptible to fat bloom.

This definition is in context to Chocolate. See more contextual defintions for Tempering.