Depending on the season, 100% dark chocolate is one of our most popular products. At times, we even sell more of it than milk chocolate bars.
But what does 100% dark chocolate actually mean?
It means the chocolate contains only cocoa ingredients. The ingredient list should have no more than two ingredients: cacao and cacao butter. Some bars contain only cacao, without any added cacao butter.
How do we choose 100% bars?
Like with any other chocolate, the first things I look at are who the chocolate maker is and where the cacao comes from. Bean-to-bar makers usually share detailed information about their cacao. At minimum, you will see the origin, and often also the cacao variety, the farm, or the cooperative that produced the beans.
People often ask if 100% chocolate is very bitter. My answer is that it’s an acquired taste, much like stout beers. I remember that when I first tried it, I didn’t enjoy it very much. Over time, I learned to appreciate it more.
But just because you like 100% chocolate doesn’t mean you will enjoy every bar. It depends on the quality of the cacao and also on your personal taste. It’s similar to craft beer or even rum — you might like the style, but the experience still varies from one producer to another.
And here’s the fun part. If you look at this tasting map, you’ll see how many different flavors can appear in different cacao beans.
