Chocolate is one of the world’s favourite treats. Different countries have different varieties, and the different brands of chocolate available range from the cheap to the very expensive. But what makes good chocolate good? How do we define and measure the quality of chocolate? There are several key indicators that determine just which is the best quality chocolate.

To really understand chocolate quality, it helps to know how chocolate is made. While there are slight differences depending on chocolate type and regional variance, there is a common process.

First, cocoa beans are fermented and dried, before being sent to a factory where they are carefully roasted to fully bring out the cocoa flavour. The outer shell is removed to reveal the cocoa nib, which is about 50% cocoa butter. These are then ground into cocoa liquor, which is further processed into the dry cocoa powder and pure cocoa butter. Each of these is then recombined to form different types of chocolate, with milk and sugars being added to make milk chocolate.

Emulsifiers are sometimes added at this stage to help the chocolate solidify. A process called conching then takes place where the ingredients are kneaded together until they have a smooth consistency, before the chocolate is tempered. Tempering heats the chocolate to cause the cocoa butter to crystallize. Finally, the hot chocolate is poured into molds or shaped into blocks.

From this process, several factors affect the final quality of the chocolate. The quality of the cocoa beans and their specific variety can change flavours, but generally do not affect the final product. The fermentation and roasting process however need to be done correctly to ensure the best flavours. Next, the cocoa powder should still contain more than 10% cocoa butter in order to have a strong flavour. Finally, the tempering process must be done correctly. Cocoa butter has six different crystal stages, and an improperly tempered chocolate may have a strange texture.

The most important definer of chocolate quality is not the cocoa products themselves, but the other ingredients added later. For example, using vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter as the solidifying fat produces compound chocolate. This is not recognised as real chocolate, although its taste is somewhat similar.

It is used as a cheap alternative or for some decorating and cooking purposes. As vegetable does not have the complex crystal structure of cocoa butter, the compound chocolate has a notable flat and chalky texture, and rarely has a flavour as rich and complex as real chocolate.

To tell what chocolate is best, check the ingredients list. If the list contains vegetable oil or another fat other than cocoa butter as a major ingredient, it is compound chocolate. Large amounts of milk solids and sugars can also indicate a heavily-adulterated chocolate.

In addition, look at the chocolate itself. Improperly made or stored chocolates can get either white spots (fat bloom) or a white powdery coating (sugar bloom). Both of these are the results in some of the chocolate’s ingredients essentially separating out and are an indicator of low-quality or badly handled chocolate.

Finally, chocolate should have a smooth consistency when eaten, as cocoa butter has a melting point very close to human body temperature. The taste should be rich and full, bitter if a dark chocolate, and balanced with sweetness in milk chocolate.

With this knowledge, you should be able to tell what chocolate is low quality, and which is high quality. More importantly, by knowing a little about the chocolate-making process, you can understand what the problem with some chocolates might be, and what to look for in the future.