THINGS COOKS KNOW CHOCOLATE 101

A short and sweet lesson on one of our favorite baking ingredients

- ANNA HEZEL

Picking a Percentage

What does it mean when a label says “35%,” “60%,” or “70%”? The percentage indicates how much of the product is made of actual cocoa beans, says world-renowned chocolatier Jacques Torres. “The remainder is sugar, dairy, and/or emulsifiers, like soy lecithin.” Milk chocolate contains at least 10% cocoa mass. Semisweet has a minimum of 35%, and products with 60% or more cocoa are often labeled “dark chocolate.” If you want a pronounced chocolate flavor without relying on sweetness or harsh bitterness, something around 60% should fit the bill.

Behold the cacao bean! Composed of about half cocoa butter and half cocoa solids, the beans get ground into nibs (which you can buy) and then further processed, often into chips, bars, or cocoa powder.

When to Splurge

While Paola Velez, a chef and the author of