Read (the fine print) before you buy!

Over the last little while I have been very observant of chocolate bar ingredient labels. By taking a couple seconds to skim over the ingredients listed on the back of a package will be able to tell you so much about the chocolate you are about to consume. How good (or not-so-good) is it for you? Is it made from natural or artificial ingredients and flavours? Next time you're in a grocery store take a peek! Finding a good quality chocolate isn't as hard to find as you would think. Reading the ingredients label can tell you so much about the chocolate you are buying and the reasons why it tastes a certain way.

People who like the taste of delicious pure chocolate will always make sure the first ingredient listed is cocoa mass (also referred to on labels as; cocoa liquor, chocolate liquor or cocoa). Cocoa mass is pure chocolate (ground from cocoa nibs) in a liquid form.

Typically, the majority of these chocolates have sugar as the second ingredient, usually in the form of a refined sugar cane. Other sugar varieties (or sweeteners) can leave an unusual taste and texture in your mouth. On occasion, the first ingredient in a chocolate bar will be sugar, in this case it will obviously be much sweeter than your typical chocolate.

Next, the third ingredient in a good chocolate will be cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is added to the cocoa mass in the refining process in order to thin out the chocolate and create that 'melt in your mouth' texture. Together the cocoa mass and the cocoa butter combine to create the cocoa content of a chocolate (dark chocolate tends to have a cocoa content of 70% or more, whereas milk chocolate has a cocoa content somewhere between 62-70%).

Lastly, most chocolate contains small amounts of lecithin and vanilla, although neither are required to produce a high quality chocolate. Lecithin (usually from soybean oil) acts as a emulsifier that helps all parts of the chocolate mix well together. Real vanilla or an artificial form of vanilla (vanillin) is used in small amounts to cover up any minor differences in a chocolate flavour.

Savour & Enjoy!


Lindt Excellence chocolate bar (Madagascar dark):