Dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate? Bittersweet? Semisweet? Are these all the same? Or are they all different? Do they relate to one another? Which one should I use and when should I use it?

I'm glad you're asking these questions because they are all very good.

Allow me to give you a short explanation on them so that you have a better idea which to use when and for what.

Bittersweet.

This chocolate is dark and slightly bitter, hence the reason why it is called bittersweet. This has less sugar and more chocolate liquor than semisweet chocolate. Both, Bittersweet and semisweet can be used in cooking.

Semisweet.

Semisweet chocolate is moderately dark and fairly sweet. Semisweet is most commonly used as a baking ingredient. A good semisweet chocolate has a minimum of 45-50% of cocoa solids.

Do be careful as a European brand of chocolate might call one of their chocolates semisweet and might be considered as bittersweet by another. As a rule of thumb, European dark chocolates are comparable to American bittersweet brands, although a few are nearly as sweet as typical American semisweets.

There is no legal definition of bittersweet and semisweet even in the U.S. Hence, one company's semisweet can be considered to be bittersweet in another company.

Dark chocolate.

All forms of this chocolate are blends of chocolate solids, cocoa butter, sugar, lecithin, and flavoring. The darkest chocolate contains the highest proportion of cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The darkest chocolate can contain up to 75% of cocoa solids.

My favorite contains 70% of cocoa solids!

A quick quality check.

When breaking a piece of chocolate, it should have a decisive snap. It should be a clean, even break, without any splintering or crumbling.

Health benefits.

With the careful attention that chocolate companies are now giving to the importance flavonoids, dark chocolate is able to keep up to 95% of its flavonoids, whereas before, up to half of the flavonoids were destroyed through the manufacturing process.

But why do I need flavonoids and what are they? You ask.

Flavonoids keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, reduce the risk of blood clots, and slow down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries.

It is said that dark chocolate contains more flavonoids than any other food -- including green tea, black tea, red wine, and blueberries.

Let's keep in mind that chocolate is plant-derived, as are the fruits and vegetables that are recommended for a healthy heart.

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