Who makes the highest quality chocolate?
As my Kiwi friends might say “yeah, no”. You may enjoy these, which is fine, but they are not high quality chocolate. In fact, some may argue they are not chocolate at all, but that’s another blog post.
Probably a brand you never heard of (if you are new to craft chocolate). What makes for high quality chocolate is two necessary components:
Fine cacao beans
A highly skillful chocolate maker
And that is it. Simple enough, but lets break it down.
What makes for fine cacao?
There are some organizations which try to “stamp” which cacao is fine and which is not. The main problem with this is is that it forces out small-holder farmers who have a very high quality cacao on their hand, but makers do not pay attention to them due to them on being on the “list”. It also forces trends where everyone seeks out a particular co-op of cacao producers not only because of its quality, but because of the hype surrounding it. The truth is, a discerning maker shouldn’t need any list or fad to determine their choice. They should be able to know from how the cacao itself tastes, and how the chocolate made from this cacao turns out. Here are some major points of what makes for fine cacao:
Highly aromatic (beyond the flavour of cocoa)
Not too acidic
Not bitter
No off flavours (metallic, mold, barn)
Notice no mention of cacao variety. More on this below.
What makes for fine chocolate?
Let’s discuss the most simple chocolate: dark chocolate (made only with cacao bean and cane sugar). Fine chocolate needs to be made with fine cacao. There is no substitution. This should be no surprise, but the same points above should also translate into the chocolate itself. Factors include:
High quality chocolate is all about high quality cacao, and not only sourcing it but know how to use it to bring about incredible flavour and texture.
Highly aromatic: The chocolate should have an array of interesting aromas beyond just cocoa. They can range from floral to fruit, and nutty to dairy. Remember, these are aromas that come from the cacao bean itself and how it was processed. It has nothing to do with ingredients added to this. We are still discussing plain dark chocolate with two ingredients (cacao and sugar).
Not too acidic: A chocolate can have a little bit of tartness. This can sometimes heighten the fruity notes or balance the sweetness. However, if the chocolate leaving an acidic feeling in your throat, as if you drank vinegar, then that’s a sign of poorly made chocolate. Perhaps the cacao itself was too acidic, or the bean-to-bar maker did not properly roast and refine it. There are expensive “craft” chocolate bars out there like this, so be aware that higher price and fancy packaging can also be deceiving.
Not bitter: Many people have the wrong impression that dark chocolate should be bitter. That a high percentage dark chocolate is supposed to be bitter, and this is a good thing (a sign of nutrition or prestige). This cannot be further from the truth. Fine dark chocolate should not leave a bitter aftertaste, or if it does, very slight, that doesn’t overshadow all the fine aromas. You can have a 70% dark chocolate (with 70% cacao bean and 30% sugar) that is quite bitter, and you can have a 70% or even 75% dark chocolate made with fine cacao that has no bitterness at all. I’ve even had 100% craft bars that have less bitterness than a 80% Lint bar.
No off flavours: The aromas in fine craft chocolate can get interesting, however, some flavours are a sign of poor cacao bean processing. For instance, I’ve had several bars from a maker in Hawaii who is highly regarded in the craft chocolate world, but each bar has had a strong taste of mold or blue cheese. This is due (also from feedback of those who visited their cacao farm) that the fermented and dried cacao beans are not kept well, growing substantial mold and imparting these poor flavours. Some bars may also have funky barn or fermented flavours that are beyond favorable. Often times these are due to the way the cacao beans were processed, but also indicates if the maker is discerning enough to know this, and if they are capable of reducing it (which is not always possible).
Texture: This can be somewhat subjective, but generally favorable textures are smooth, creamy, sticky, non-astringent versus grainy, watery (when it melts), waxy, and very tannic or astringent (leaving a strong dry puckering in your mouth).
Ingredients: Ingredients matter very much. In fact, it is the first thing I look at when picking up a bar I never had before. Plain Dark chocolate should contain only 2–3 ingredients (cacao, sugar, and sometimes cocoa butter). Stay away from terms such as “natural flavour” as they are flavour additives synthesized from what once were natural ingredients. Stay away from bars which list fats which are not cocoa butter. Lecithin is a gray area, and there are many kinds, but fine chocolate can be made without it, so I do tend to stay away from bars that use lecithin. Not because lecithin is an unhealthy ingredient (It’s a natural ingredient, and there are non-soy and non-GMO options for it), but because in my experience those with really high quality cacao can’t bear to add unnecessary ingredients.
What does NOT make for high quality
Check out the Bean To Bar World App to find high quality chocolate makers in a city or country near you!
Variety of cacao: Some believe that a specific variety of cacao is required to make high quality chocolate, but this is not really the case. Varieties (Criollo, Trinitario, Forastero) are very very broad categories, and fine cacao can be found in any of them. Forastero isn’t even considered a genetic variety anymore, but is a catch all for many varieties including Amelonado. There can be very aromatic Trinitario, and there can be mediocre or poor quality Trinitario. Much of the Amelonado strains is what is used to grow bulk cacao, but some sub varieties are known for incredible floral aromas. Although genetics dictates a great deal of the beginning of what will make for chocolate, it has to do more with specific genetics of the trees at the farm, not just what broad genetic strain they belong to.
Cacao Percentage: What is percentage? For dark chocolate, it reflects how much cacao bean in relation to sugar. For instance a dark 70% chocolate bar is 70% cacao bean and 30% sugar. A standard 30% commercial milk chocolate bar is 30% cacao bean and 70% a mixture of sugar and milk powder. Percentage is a reflection of how much cacao bean there is in relation to sugar (for dark chocolate), or how much cacao bean in relation to other ingredients. So in a sense, more cacao bean (from say 30% to 70%) makes a big impact in regards to nutrition (polyphenols and minerals and less sugar content), but other than that, it does not dictate quality. A 90% bar is not “better” than a 70% bar if you are only concerned with flavour and texture (nutrition aside). Comparing a 70% to 75% really is negligible in regards to nutrition, and so there really is not difference in quality if everything else is the same.
Cacao Country of Origin: This is something I used to believe myself years ago when I got started in fine chocolate. A few things to keep in mind is that many countries produce both very fine cacao and poor quality bulk cacao. Ecuador, for instance, produces the infamous CCN51, and also the highly prized Nacional. Venezuela is seen by many as producing the best cacao in the world, and let me tell you from first hand experience, there is a range. You can get some pretty bad cacao from Venezuela as well. Keep in mind that within an origin or region there is variance in quality and flavour of cacao. Sur del Lago origin cacao can be pleasant to off meaty aromas depending on who you buy it from and where it’s coming from exactly. Some regions are more consistent than others. And some regions don’t even make it on the map, yet some small-scale farmer can be producing incredible cacao with no market because they are not in the country or region that is trending.
Maker Country of Origin: Many people today still think the best chocolate in the world comes from Switzerland, Belgium, or France. Truth is, most of the bulk commercial mediocre chocolate comes from these countries today. And many brands from within these countries ride the coattails of what used to be known as a country that produces great chocolate, but has long been lost. In all honesty, country does not matter! It’s not like fine cheese or fine wine where those who make the chocolate also grow the cacao themselves (although a few do). Wherever a skillful maker has their hands on some really fine cacao, the best chocolate can be made. This can be in France, Hungary, South Korea, Peru, Brazil, or Australia. In fact, many of the best makers in their world get their cacao from the same origin or source of cacao, and have the skills to turn it into something beautiful.
Social Factor Labels: Keep in mind that terms like organic and fair trade, although important, are not synonymous with high quality aromatic chocolate. Bulk or mediocre chocolate made with bulk or mediocre cacao can be certified organic and fair trade. In fact, a great selling point for okay, but not incredible chocolate is to push the organic, fair trade, and other social factor labels in order to sell it at a higher price. As well, there can be non-certified organic, fair (or direct) trade cacao (grown by hard working farmers) that is also superb in regards to flavour, but may not be purchased because the maker knows the consumers are looking for certified cacao. So what happens is you have really high quality cacao being looked over not because it is not high quality, and not organic, but because it can’t be marketed as easily. What a shame. Instead of relying on certification, pay attention to what the brand says about their cacao, where its grown, and other details instead of relying on stamps and labels, as they will never be synonymous with flavour and quality. Some may, but many will not be.