If you’ve spent any time in the chocolate aisle, you’ve seen people reach straight for the 70% and above bars.
And I hear it all the time when running chocolate events: 'I only eat chocolate if it’s 70% or higher.' It sounds decisive and it feels like the smart choice. Higher percentage means better quality, right? The best chocolate is 70% and above, right?
Not quite...
With good chocolate, percentage is a guide only
It tells you one thing and one thing only: the ratio of cacao to sugar - and other ingredients. It says nothing about flavour, nothing about quality and nothing about the skill that went into making the bar.
Just like wine, coffee and whisky - great chocolate has a flavour profile.Â
That profile comes from the variety of cacao, the growing conditions, the fermentation, the roast and the decisions the chocolate maker makes along the way. These elements have far more influence on flavour than the number printed on the front of the wrapper.
Why do people fixate on percentage?
Because most of the chocolate we grew up eating, and much of what is still on the shelves today, has no real flavour profile. It is made with cheaper beans that naturally have very little flavour, and those beans are then mixed together in huge batches. Any character they might have had gets blended into nothing, which is not a good thing. The result is chocolate that relies on sugar and added vanilla to create a sense of taste, and to hide unpleasant flavours.
This is why large commercial brands rely so heavily on percentage. It gives the impression of quality and complexity when the chocolate itself has none. If the bar has no distinctive flavour of its own, the percentage becomes the headline.
Craft makers talk about flavour first
When you step into the wonderful world of craft chocolate, things change. Makers talk about flavour first. You’ll see tasting notes on the packaging. You’ll see the origin of the beans. You might see terroir explained or the specific cacao variety listed. The percentage often sits quietly on the back or tucked discreetly on the packaging - because percentage is not the hero.
A 65% bar can taste darker, bolder and more intense than a commercial 80%. A 70% from one origin can taste completely different from a 70% from another. Percentage is a tiny part of the picture. Flavour is the whole experience. Strikingly, a 100% pure criollo bean chocolate will be lacking astringency and have strong notes of vanilla and honey.
Take Amphora from Australian maker Cuvée Chocolate. It’s a 65% dark chocolate made with Peruvian cacao. If you went by percentage alone, you might assume it would be sweeter or lighter. Instead, it is layered and bold, full of red fruit, tropical fruit and natural acidity. It has depth. It has personality. It tastes like something.
Or look at New Zealand maker Foundry Chocolate, who only make dark chocolate starting at 70%. However if you take their 70% from Peru and compare it to their 70% from Vietnam, or Tanzania - they all taste vastly different!
That is what good chocolate should do.
Percentage shouldn't be the whole story
Fiamma Tip: If you want to choose better chocolate, ignore the number on the front and look for the information that actually matters. Origin. Flavour notes. Bean variety. Maker. Craft. These are the clues that tell you what the chocolate is going to taste like. If a bar of chocolate only has percentage, there’s a pretty good chance it’s a tad average.
And once you start tasting chocolate for its flavour, not its number, you’ll realise how much you were missing - and how amazing craft chocolate is.
Common Questions About Chocolate Percentage
Is 70% chocolate always the best?
No. Percentage only tells you the ratio of cacao to sugar and other ingredients. Flavour depends on bean quality, origin and craft - not the number on the wrapper.
Why do commerical brands focus on percentage?
Because their chocolate usually has no flavour story. Percentage becomes the headline when the bar itself has nothing else to talk about. If they had a flavour story to tell, they would!
What percentage should I choose?
Choose based on flavour, origin and tasting notes. Percentage is a guide, not a measure of quality. Look at the tasting notes and choose based on what your flavour preferences are — maybe you like sharp raspberry flavours, or more rounded nutty flavours.
Does higher percentage mean healthier?
Not necessarily. A higher percentage may have less sugar, however a well-made 65% can be richer in antioxidants and nutrients than a poor-quality 80%.
