I can quite easily tell apart good chocolate from the mediocre and less nice ones. But I have real trouble differentiating good chocolate that I usually buy from supermarkets and sometimes speciality shops from the luxury, super-duper premium brands.

As ‘they’ say, the proof is in the pudding. I’ve had some eye-wateringly priced ‘pudding’ from names like Patchi, Baci, Godiva, Hotel Chocolat and Valrhona. Good as they were/are, I couldn’t find the proof that made them so much more special, and warranted their so much more expensive selling price than my supermarket favourites. Like Lindt, Nestle, Whittaker and Cadbury, which to be honest can themselves be quite expensive depending on the range. The taste test failed me.

As far as I am concerned, they are all yum. I like some more than others but only because I prefer texture with add-ons like nuts and crumbly bits in chocolate. I also like Marks & Spencer’s chocolate offerings. So how? No matter. I like what I like. The upside is I don’t have to dish out extra mullah for the elite brands, which I begrudge. That said, it was and is interesting to learn what to look for in good to premium chocolates.

Apparently, the first to-do is to check the ingredients listed on the label. I’ve never done this before. I do now. Top of the list is the amount of cacao solids present. There should be a minimum of over 45% for dark chocolate and 30% per milk chocolate. Truly good chocolates should contain at least 70% cocoa solids. Chocolate is a lot about the cocoa beans.

As an aside, there are at least ten different cocoa bean varieties with many subvarieties in the world. Criollo, forastero, and trinitario are the three main types. Criollo is a higher quality, full of flavour bean but more expensive to grow. Forastero is the most widely grown and robust of the varieties. Trinitario is a hybrid of the other two with the best qualities of each one.

Cacao trees are grown in regions and countries with a tropical climate — like West Africa, Central and South America and Southeast Asia. In fact, most of the world’s cacao beans, around 75 percent, are currently grown in West Africa[1].  Ecuador is home to some of the best cacao beans in the world[2].

The next ingredient is sugar. The quantity of sugar is inverse to the cocoa content. High cocoa means low sugar. Next is cocoa butter. A lower cacao percentage may include cocoa butter and lecithin to give the chocolate a smooth texture. And, milk in milk chocolates.

This is interesting. Bad and lower quality chocolates have a longer list of ingredients. Such as vegetable oil, non-cocoa butter fats, milk substitutes, and artificial sweeteners. I call them the imposter ingredients that are used as fillers to make cheaper and not so real chocolates. On another note, nephew number 4 told me to avoid the blue and yellow M&M’s because of the colouring used. He read the ingredients on the M&M Brownie chocolate packet that sister number 3 brought home from England. Me, on the other hand, am still a little less discerning. Sigh.

Just like makers of good wine and cheese, good quality chocolate makers also list the origins of the cocoa beans used, and how the chocolates are crafted on their labels. They might even include details of the manufacturing process[3]. Like vintage, fermentation, roasting, grinding, conching (an important step in flavour development), as well as number, size and if it’s a limited edition.

Apart from reading the label, other things to look out for in premium chocolates are appearance, aroma, touch, snap, and texture. Chocolate should look smooth, no bubbles and blooms, and be even-coloured with a sheen. It should smell chocolaty with fruity, earthy, or floral undertones. It should not have overly sugary or vanilla scents. I never really held chocolate up close to my nose. Chocolate should not be sticky. It should melt to the touch. In hot Malaysia, it melts and gets sticky almost always. An incentive to eat chocolate quickly:)

Chocolate should also have a clear, crisp, clean, and sharp snap when broken. I like the snap sound. I never noticed this but dark chocolate supposedly breaks more easily than milk chocolate and white chocolate. Chocolate should feel smooth and delicate and, melt in the mouth.

Why pay more for premium chocolates? Reasons given are they contain higher quality cocoa, and other ingredients that are real and organic. The flavours are sometimes avant-garde and are created by artisanal craftsman/women. The creation and production times are longer, and the quantity produced is smaller. And, generally makers of premium chocolates practise fair-trade.

Fair enough. But I still won’t be paying big bucks for big brand premium chocolate anytime soon. I will stick to my supermarket likes.