Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is where it’s at for me. I was bought up on the stuff. Some people call it “bitter chocolate” and don’t like the taste, but it would be unwise to lump all dark chocolate in that category. Of course the 99% stuff such as the Michel Cluizel Noir Infin is a very acquired taste and isn’t for me.

Many people get so caught up in the per cent of cocoa solids in dark chocolate without realising that chocolate with the same amount can actually taste radically different. There are so many different factors in play such as the origin and type of cocoa beans, fermenting process the cacao beans are put through, how long they’re roasted, how long they’re conched for and how the manufactured chocolate is actually kept. So what I’d suggest is that you try chocolate at a wide range of cacao levels and brands – just explore what the chocolate world has to offer.

But here are my personal favourites in the different cocoa levels:

• Potomac Upala – 82% Costa Rica
• Pralus Chuao – 75% Venezuela
• Duffy’s Tierra Oscura – 72% Panama
• Friis Holm Chuno – 70% Nicaragua
• Michel Cluizel Los Ancones – 67% Dominican Republic
• Jean-Paul Hévin – 64% Papua New Guinea

Below you’ll find all the latest dark chocolate reviews. Simply just have a look at any that catch your eye, or use the listing of dark chocolate by cocoa solids on the right hand side.