Help! What Do All Those Chocolate Labels Mean?

Or...What's the difference between Dark Chocolate/Semi-Sweet Chocolate/Bittersweet Chocolate????

The answer is...maybe a lot...maybe nothing.

It's more of a marketing distinction than anything else. Here's what we know for sure:

Unsweetened Chocolate has NO sugar, NO milk and consists of ENTIRELY Chocolate Liquor; though when you read the label, it may just say "unsweetened chocolate." So what is Chocolate Liquor? Ground up Cacao Beans! It is used for baking delicious desserts when you are adding your own sugar. Great for brownies and cakes!

Milk Chocolate has chocolate liquor, sugar, and naturally - MILK! Usually, you can expect vanilla (or artificial vanilla - usually labeled "vanillin") and soy(a) lecithin which is basically the glue that holds chocolate together. It is derived from the soybean and is found in most brands of chocolate. In order to qualify for Milk Chocolate - it must contain 10% Chocolate Liquor. It could contain up to 35%. Sidebar: Credit for Milk Chocolate goes to Daniel Peter, A.K.A. Peter's Chocolate - in conjunction with Henri Nestle's new invention: condensed milk.

White Chocolate is made from Cocoa Butter, sugar, milk, vanilla, soy lecithin and absolutely NO cacao (Chocolate Liquor). It's allowed to be called White Chocolate because of the cocoa butter, which is part of the make up of Cacao Beans. Sidebar: Calling White Chocolate "chocolate" really irks some people.

Cocoa Powder is unsweetened and is made by crushing mostly defatted chocolate liquor and removing most of the cocoa butter. Though not completely fat free, it does lower the fat content in baked goods. Natural Cocoa is used in conjunction with baking soda in recipes because of it's high ACIDIC content. Dutch processed cocoa powder is milder and LESS ACIDIC.

Sweet Chocolate has at least 15% chocolate liquor. When was the last time you went to the grocery store and saw "Sweet Chocolate?" I don't know where you live, but I have NEVER seen it in the baking section, EVER. Yet, the FDA has a classification for it. Naturally, you can assume there's a fair amount of sugar in Sweet Chocolate.

OK - so here's where it gets DICEY.

There is no FDA distinction between Semi-Sweet/Dark/Bittersweet chocolate!

In Europe, dark chocolate must contain 35% cocoa solids...and it's a pretty good bet that when you buy dark chocolate here in the U.S., it will contain anywhere from 35%-70% on average. Barkeater Chocolates, for example, uses chocolate made with 63% cocoa solids for most of their truffles, and 68% cocoa solids for its elite (organic) collection. But the only way to know for sure is when chocolate companies put it right on their labels, which is becoming quite trendy. Even high-end baking chips that label different bags "semi-sweet," or "bittersweet" will usually put the percentage on the bag. Typically, the chocolate labeled "semi-sweet" will be lower in cocoa solids than "bittersweet," but that's only WITHIN a brand. One brand may label their 60% chocolate as "bittersweet," while another company will label that same percentage as "semi-sweet." Sidebar: companies that label their chocolate as "dark" (or bittersweet/semi-sweet) - may still have ADDED MILK FAT in their ingredient list.

DOES IT MATTER?

In baking, interchanging bittersweet for semi-sweet will NOT make much of a difference. The higher the percentage of solids, the more the baking chip will hold its form. But if you're melting the chocolate in your recipe anyway, it won't make much of a difference at all.

In matters of health - YES it matters. The higher the percentage of cacao, the lower the percentage of sugar and milk. This equates to more antioxidants and fewer calories.

In matters of taste - YES it matters. The higher the percentage of cacao, the more bitter the chocolate will taste. Going for a higher percentage (up to 90% in some cases) may mean stronger health benefits, but if you gag while trying to eat it, you will probably just seek out another sweet (and less healthy) food. Many people strive for a satisfying middle-ground - somewhere in the 60-70% range.

So in the end...it's all just a matter of your priorities - how the chocolate will be used, brand loyalty, health benefits and cost. And as for that killer cake-recipe, your family won't be able to tell whether you used 62% or 65% - so go with what you like!