Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate, also known as plain chocolate and black chocolate, is a form of chocolate made from chocolate liquor, cocoa butter and sugar. It has a higher cocoa percentage than white chocolate and milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is valued for its health benefits, and for its reputation as a sophisticated choice of chocolate. Like milk and white chocolate, dark chocolate is used to make chocolate bars and to coat confectionery. Dark chocolate gained much of its reputation in the late 20th century, as French chocolatiers worked to establish dark chocolate as preferred over milk chocolate in the French national palate. As this preference was exported to countries such as the United States, associated values of terroir, bean-to-bar chocolate making and gourmet chocolate followed. Because of the high cocoa percentage, dark chocolate can contain particularly high amounts of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. Compared to other types of chocolate, dark chocolate has a more bitter and intense flavor, and is more reliant on the quality of its cocoa beans and cocoa butter ingredients. Dark chocolate is made by a process of mixing, refining, conching, and standardizing. Government and industry standards of what may be labeled "dark chocolate" vary by country and market.