Fun fact: pure cocoa is bitter

If anyone is curious buy chocolate with increasing percentages of "dark" which means it's more cocoa. The most I've ever seen is 80% which was so bitter I couldn't even call it sweet.

I never really liked eating dark chocolate. Too bitter.

I only eat chocolate between 50% and 80% cocoa. Anything less is too sweet to me.

Normally, you'd use those kinds of dark chocolate for cooking. I've eaten a bar of 85% dark chocolate, though. Quite tasty, if a bit bitter. Goes wonderfully in a warm glass of milk, though.

Bitter chocolate candy advertised with the percentage of the cacao contained inside is popular in Japan

I am pretty sure cocoa index percentage is a common thing for dark chocolate outside of Japan

Tried 100%, a block of 1 cm by 1 cm. Couldn't even eat half of that block. It was just impossible due to the bitter taste. It made me like anybody else realise what true cocoa is and how it is sweetened > Tons of milk, sugar, butter.

70 to 80% goes perfect with good a Whiskey w/o rocks (Advised for the legal drinking age danboorians who drink Whiskey, give it a try)

The percentage is a thing in Germany as well. I love dark chocolate and ate those up to 92%.

I *love* dark chocolate and will not touch any other kind. Ritter Sport has a variety that is 73% and it's delicious! We have some other makes here in Denmark, that are up to 97%!

I want to try 100% cocoa. I think the most I ever went up to is 80%.

To put numbers in perspective, a Hershey dark bar is about 40% cocoa. Anything more than that can be considered an acquired taste.

Eating pure cocoa extract can have long term health benefits, but anything higher than 75% is quite bitter.

The actual numbers used to make chocolate candy are a secret though.

Paz_Legalces said:

I am pretty sure cocoa index percentage is a common thing for dark chocolate outside of Japan

Thanks for the info, I've deleted that note. I wasn't sure of that.

Yup, pure chocolate is da best! I don't really like how awfully sweet chocolate is nowadays. In older days, they didn't add so much sugar.

I found recipe for brewing porter with choco; and if that beer took serious competitions with ease, then I will defintely try that.

Unrelated factoid: The melty bit about chocolate is due to how cocoa butter "wraps" cocoa particles, coating them in slick fatty goodness. When companies try to substitute cocoa butter for pine or canola oil (for cost reasons), the outcome is very gritty. Similar things can be observed in really dark chocolate. Of course, the only thing you'll actually take notice of is the bitterness. I daresay cringeworthily bitter. The highest percentage I've ever had is 95%, too much for me. But if you weren't expecting such a taste... *shudder* No wonder Reisen did a spit take.

100% goes great with spice as a drink somehow (i grow some)

I took 90% cocoa once it was... heavenly (rather than bitter it tasted like jasmine and oranges with a hint of lemon)... I guess it also depends where the cocoa was sourced obviously what I got was African grown chocolate, South American chocolate might be on the earthy, spicy side so bitterness might be expected