High cocoa chocolate refers to chocolate with a significant percentage of ingredients derived directly from the cocoa bean.
Understanding what "cocoa content" means is key. As the reference explains, for a plain dark chocolate bar:
So a plain dark chocolate bar with a cocoa content of 70%, means that 70% of the chocolate has been made from ingredients found purely in the cocoa bean. The remaining 30% will consist of other ingredients such as sugar, predominantly, but may also include for example very small percentages of vanilla flavouring.
This means the stated percentage on the packaging represents the portion of the chocolate's composition that originates solely from the cocoa bean.
Composition Explained
The percentage refers to the total amount of cocoa solids and cocoa butter present. The higher the percentage, the less room there is for other ingredients like sugar, milk solids (in milk or white chocolate), and flavourings.
What the Percentage Means
- Cocoa Bean Ingredients: This includes components like cocoa liquor (also known as cocoa mass), cocoa butter, and sometimes cocoa powder. These are the flavour-carrying elements that give chocolate its characteristic taste and texture.
- Other Ingredients: The remaining percentage is typically made up of:
- Sugar: The primary sweetener. Higher cocoa content usually means less sugar.
- Emulsifiers: Such as lecithin, to help combine ingredients smoothly.
- Flavourings: Like vanilla.
For example, using the reference's illustration:
- A 70% cocoa content dark chocolate bar is composed of 70% pure cocoa bean ingredients.
- The remaining 30% consists mainly of sugar, with potential small additions of vanilla or other flavourings.
While there isn't one single, universally defined percentage that marks the cutoff for "high cocoa," percentages of 70% and above are widely considered to fall into this category, often characterized by a more intense, less sweet flavour profile compared to chocolates with lower cocoa percentages.
