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Know your chocolate. (And learn to appreciate the good stuff!) 

Solidly Good 

For chocolate to be considered good – it all revolves around the solids. Namely: Cocoa solids 

“Cocoa solids” means the dry part of the cocoa bean, that’s left over after the cocoa butter (the fatty yellow oil) has been extracted. It’s the part that gives chocolate its rich aroma and colour. 

The Qualities of Good and Great Chocolate  

Dark chocolate has the highest cocoa solid percentage, giving it the purest most intense chocolatey taste. From a purist’s point of view, even average-quality dark chocolate will be better than milk chocolate.  

Unfortunately, tastes differ and that’s where we come in. 

We have taken it upon ourselves to taste test different commercially available chocolate brands. (No need to thank us!) 

The Rules:  

We only tasted plain chocolate slabs in dark, and milk chocolate. 

We also only went for the commercially widely available chocolate brands…obviously the artisanal small batch heirloom chocolate made somewhere in the Cape Winelands will be delicious, no comparison is needed there. 

Darker Chocolate Brands 

Cadbury’s Bournville Dark Chocolate  

• Cocoa solids: 36% minimum (That’s the same amount as the Lindt MILK chocolate…) 
• Cocoa butter: Yes  

• Dairy Milk: Yes (Milk protein) 

Beacon Midnight Velvet 

• Cocoa solids: Undisclosed… 
• Cocoa butter: Yes 
• Dairy milk: Undisclosed… 

Lindt & Sprüngli Excellence Dark Chocolate 

• Cocoa solids: Anywhere between 41% and 99% depending on the variety you choose 
• Cocoa butter: Yes  
• Dairy milk: Yes (depending on variety) 

All of these chocolate brands contain sugar and as a rule, they are high in fat. So no, this wasn’t a diet exercise. However, certain things stood out: South African chocolate brands’ tastes edge towards the European. Which means we like slightly more acidic, less sweet chocolate with a high cocoa solid content. This is why Lindt and Cadbury’s chocolate brands stand out as favourites. However – as mentioned, the Beacon dark chocolate range with added ingredients does represent a refreshing and nuanced treat. There is little to choose between the Beacon flavoured dark chocolates and the Lindt Excellence range with all their additions (think sea salt and chillies…) 

So the basic answer is: South Africans have always been culinarily blessed. From our meat and fresh produce to our wine and chocolate brands – we have access to some of the best tastes in the world. With this in mind, you can sleep soundly and know that even your local petrol station guilty pleasure candy bar turns out to be of a pretty impressive quality.

Oh, And The White Chocolate?  

Simple – it’s not chocolate. No cocoa solids, just sugar and vegetable fat. Love it if you want to, but don’t call it chocolate! 

For some yummy inspiration, check out our Food page.