Tips on Buying Good Chocolate
By Anna Wallner and Kristina Matistic
Feb. 6, 2007 — Americans eat 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate every year and undoubtedly, a lot of it is consumed around Valentine's Day. If you're planning on giving your sweetie something sweet this year, here's how to ensure you're giving chocolate they'll love:
- For the best-quality chocolate, look for an ingredient label that shows a bar with 55 percent to 70 percent of cocoa solids. But keep in mind that the higher the percentage, the more bitter the chocolate will taste: 99 percent cocoa solids is definitely an acquired taste.
- Bittersweet or dark chocolate contains less fat than milk chocolate. (Hey, we cut calories where we can!)
- Some 92 percent of Americans prefer the taste of milk chocolate, something to keep in mind if you're gift giving.
- Specialty chocolate has a shelf life of about two weeks, while mass-produced chocolate has more preservatives and can last considerably longer, even up to a year.
- If you're buying specialty or boutique chocolates, ask the retailer about the top-selling products. High turnover will guarantee freshness.
- Avoid buying chocolate that has white patches or looks dull in color. It could be past its prime. (Though we'd probably eat that stuff too — if we had to, that is.)
- Consider purchasing fair-trade chocolate. This means that the farmers received a good price for their beans.
- Looking to savor the box? Chocolate should be stored in a cool, dark place, but preferably not in the refrigerator. Cold air can out dry chocolate.
(Anna Wallner and Kristina Matistic host The Shopping Bags. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)
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