What Are Cocoa Percentages And What Do They Mean?

Is Some Chocolate more Chocolate than Others?

Everybody knows that chocolate come from the cacao bean. Everybody has also seen the labelling saying that the chocolate includes various percentages (30%, 50%, 70%) of cocoa content. The question is – what do these percentages mean and how do they affect the quality and taste of the final product that we desire so much?

The Higher the Percentage – The More Cocoa

That percentage figure you see on the wrapping tells you how much of the product’s ingredients come from the cacao bean as opposed to other ingredients (sugar, milk etc.). This is often expressed as a percentage which includes both the chocolate “juice” (extracted from what are known as chocolate “nibs” in a long and exacting grinding process) and cocoa butter (the fat of the cacao bean). Ratios of the two ingredients vary depending on the type of chocolate (white chocolate, for example, contains no chocolate solids but just cocoa butter). A higher volume of chocolate liquor used by the wholesale chocolate manufacturer will result in a product that is more aromatic with a deeper and more complex flavour.

As a general rule of thumb, the darker the chocolate you order from the wholesale chocolate supplier, the higher the chocolate percentage. Having said that, the quality of the cacao beans and the processes used to produce the cocoa can also affect the final flavour.

In fact, variations in chocolate flavour are almost unending – bitter, sweet, fruity, nutty, and spicy are just a few.

Chocolate Variations

As said, there are many different varieties of chocolate produced by wholesale chocolate manufacturers across the globe. However essentially four main categories can be identified (each with dozens, if not hundreds of variations):

Unsweetened chocolate is almost 100% pure, undiluted chocolate liquids and cocoa butter. This type of chocolate, with its very distinctive and strong “chocolaty” taste (some would call it bitter) is often used for baking but, since the discovery that chocolate is a “super food” it has become increasingly popular with health enthusiasts.

Extra dark chocolate is slightly less bitter than unsweetened chocolate as small amounts of sugar are added during its processing to “take the edge” off the bitterness. It is also very popular with health enthusiasts and many others who want to experience an almost pure chocolate sensation but need that sensation to be tamed a tad.

Bittersweet chocolate usually has 60% to 80% cocoa content. It is also a dark chocolate but tends to lean to the brown rather than the often almost black unsweetened chocolate. A very popular chocolate with those who look for a rich flavour but find the stronger chocolates “too much”. Bittersweet chocolate is also used extensively for baking and desserts.

Semisweet chocolate can contain anywhere from 35% to 60% cocoa content. This type of chocolate is perfect for the person with a sweet tooth who also wants to experience just some of the complex flavours in good chocolate.

Wholesaler Chocolate – Supplying Flavours from Around the World

Chocolate flavours vary tremendously. The type of bean, where it
is grown, the processes used to produce the cocoa butter and liquor – all make a huge difference to the final taste. Wholesale chocolate manufacturers and suppliers can, and often do, produce wonderful blends of chocolate to excite your taste buds.