Let’s be honest: most women love chocolate. Every day as the clock strikes four in our office (and probably office buildings around the world), our estrogen levels strike chocolate. We need chocolate and we need it now. We dig into the corners of our desk drawers, purses, and jacket pockets for a nibble of something to stave off the afternoon sweetness gods.
Fortunately, chocolate—correction, dark chocolate—has been labeled as a super food. Dark chocolate is full of flavonoids, the same antioxidants that make tea so fabulously good for you. Flavonoids help to lower blood pressure and keep your arteries from clogging—that’s good news for your heart and even better news for all of us chocolate addicts.
But as with everything, moderation is the key. Experts recommend only a small portion (one to two squares) per day to reap the benefits. So in order to decide which dark chocolate we should blow our daily portion and calories on, our staff members each brought in a bar of dark chocolate that was over 70 percent cacao (that’s the good flavonoid-filled stuff) to do a blind taste-testing. Here’s what turned us on … and what tasted like tanbark.
And the winner is …
Villars Swiss Chocolate (Our score: 4.2 out of 5.)
Per serving: 72% cacao, 220 calories, 18 grams fat
This was our unanimous favorite. I personally was a fan of Villars because its bars are decorated with pretty floral motifs. One tester described this bar as having a hint of nuttiness (perhaps hazelnut) subtle sweetness, and the perfect amount of bitterness. Our chocolate connoisseurs said that it would go great paired with sex and that it had a “slight alcohol flavor”—me likey.
We also loved this one—but it doesn’t fall into the 70 percent or over “good for you” category.
Michael Mischer (Our score: 4.2 out of 5.)
65% cacao
Nutritional information not available.
Michael Misher, a Bay Area native, slipped into our test. This bar is only 65 percent cacao, which is probably why we cherished its sweet and savory deliciousness. The best part of Michael Mischer’s chocolate was the little chunks of sea salt speckling the bottom.
And the loser is …
E. Guittard (Our score: 1.2 out of 5.)
Per serving: 91% cacao, 300 calories, 31 grams fat
Our least favorite was the darkest of the dark, weighing in with 91 percent cacao—meaning it was extremely bitter and chalky. Our chocolate cheerleaders thought this one “tasted like car oil mixed with rusted metal and licorice.” One of our writers thought it tasted like wax and old cigars. (I wonder why she’s eating wax and cigars?) Its packaging says “San Francisco’s secret since 1968.” As one of our graphic designers said, “They should keep that crap a secret.”
Another one of our least favorites was …
Menavana Coppeneaur (Our score: 1.4 out of 5.)
72% cacao
Nutritional information not available.
We made the men in our office come over and taste this one because it was our “favorite.” Ha! They spit it out, cried, and ran away like big babies. We ladies are more refined and sophisticated—we decided it tasted like burnt coffee grinds and cow dung.
Here are the rest of our dark chocolate selections listed from our most to least favorite:
Scharffen Berger Antilles (Our score: 3.4 out of 5.)
Per serving: 75% cacao, 200 calories, 18 grams fat
This was a sweet chocolate that would go wonderfully paired with cheese or booze. It had a bit of a sour or tart aftertaste, but in a good way.
Divine (Our score: 3.2 out of 5.)
Per serving: 70% cacao, 280 calories, 23 grams fat
The chocolate lived up to its name. It was really smooth, not too bitter, and would taste splendid paired with oranges or acidic fruits.
Recchiuti-Bitersweet (Our score: 3.1 out of 5.)
Per serving: 85% cacao, 240 calories, 18 grams fat
Our ladies said they would not remember this one, nor would they want to. One tester thought it would go great paired with a burrito.
Cote d’Or Degustation (Our score: 3 out of 5.)
Per serving: 70% cacao, 260 calories, 19 grams fat
This one was simple, but memorable. It had a smooth, smoky flavor that we loved. My favorite part is that each square had my favorite animal, the elephant, imprinted on it.
Mora Mora (Our score: 2.8 out of 5.)
Per serving: 73% cacao, 250 calories, 19 grams fat
One tester thought this bar tasted pukey and bitter. A lot of us experienced an aftertaste of whiskey or beer (which is not necessarily a bad thing).
Neuhaus West Africa (Our score: 2.6 out of 5.)
Per serving: 73% cacao, 406 calories, 31 grams fat
This one was mellow. We liked it, but it did not stand out. It was creamy, but could have been a bit more bitter.
Domori BlackSal (Our score: 1.8 out of 5.)
75% cacoa
Nutritional information not available.
This chocolate tastes like bananas. Our consensus was: if you want a chocolate covered banana, you would eat a chocolate covered banana, not dark chocolate that tastes like bananas.
Valrhona Abinao (Our score: 1.8 out of 5.)
Per serving: 85% cacao, 250 calories, 20 grams fat
This one was way too bitter, it almost tasted like alcohol (which some of us were into). It was nothing special, that’s for sure.
Vintage-Plantations (Our score: 1.6 out of 5.)
Per serving: 75% cacao, 248 calories, 16 grams fat
This is the one I brought. “Eww” was the general agreement on what I thought would be an Ecuadorian treat.
Scharffen Berger Extra Dark (Our score: 1.4 out of 5.)
Per serving: 82% cacao, 190 calories, 19 grams fat
Yuck. This one tasted like vinegar.
What we learned …
The higher the percentage of cacao, the healthier the chocolate, and the nastier it tastes. That won’t be the case with every bar, but unless you have taste buds of tar, odds are you will not like a bar of dark chocolate that is over 90 percent cacao. We also learned to listen to Grandma—everything must be done in moderation. After fourteen chunks of dark chocolate, our minds got foggy and our tummies got rumbly. It is recommended that you have one piece a day to get your necessary flavonoids—just one.