As with many questions, the answer is ‘it depends’. For chocolate, the amount of sugar depends on the type and quality of the chocolate. Cocoa Runners is a UK based website that promotes craft chocolate and publishes interesting articles. Recently they wrote about the sugar content of chocolate. Thank you to Cocoa Runners for inspiring this blog topic.
In the case of premium chocolate (variously categorised as craft / bean to bar / tree to bar/ single origin chocolate), sugar is added to accentuate the cocoa bean flavour. Adding a little sugar to chocolate is equivalent to adding a little salt to meat and vegetables; it brings out the flavours.
Pure granulated sugar is just a sweet taste (and grainy texture). Raw sugar doesn’t have any odour or flavour. Cocoa Runners tells us about the ‘holding your nose’ experiment, firstly with sugar and then separately with chocolate. Both are sweet tasting; only the chocolate, though, develops flavour and aromas when you release your nose. Don’t forget to have the chocolate at room temperature.
By adding small amounts of sugar, the craft chocolate maker transforms cocoa beans into fine chocolate bars with interesting flavours, textures and tastes. The cocoa drives the flavour. Try comparing two single origin bars to experience this varying flavour sensation. I like to compare Charley’s Mount Edna Mission Beach with Charley’s Karkar Island from with Papua New Guinea.
Premium chocolate doesn’t need a lot of sugar. A typical premium chocolate bar contains 70 per cent cocoa and 30 per cent sugar. By contrast, for cost effectiveness and product consistency, mass produced chocolate bars require sugar and added flavourings, fats and preservatives. Sugar’s added because it creates a ‘sugar-hit’ and because it’s inexpensive compared to cocoa. Sugar plus additives and flavouring conceal the flavour and taste of what cocoa there is in a mass-produced bar. Mass producers are seeking consistency not individuality of flavour.
A typical mass-produced chocolate bar could be 50 per cent or more sugar and as little as 30 per cent cocoa. Some people who would claim chocolate is bad because it’s full of sugar. Too much of anything isn’t a good idea which is why portion size is a very active topic among marketeers.
As a starter which has less sugar? A typical breakfast cereal or a dark craft chocolate bar? A low fat yogurt or a dark craft chocolate bar? Many people will be aware that breakfast cereals contain sugar. And that many breakfast cereals give a delightful sugar hit. Some cereals surprisingly contain a lot of sugar. Here’s some data providing a comparison of well known breakfast cereals with Charley’s chocolate.
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So, is it chocolate for breakfast? An alternate to sugary breakfast cereals may be yoghurt. Yoghurt’s not necessarily sugar free but some are better than others.
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Once again, on a portion size basis chocolate compares favourably. So, is it chocolate for that quick snack?
These comparisons can be taken further to include Coca Cola and wine. When the portion size is considered a craft chocolate bar (70 per cent cocoa) compares well. A 330ml can of Coca Cola contains just over eight teaspoons of sugar (35 grams of sugar). A bottle of red wine (750CL) has around six teaspoons. A craft chocolate bar (80 gram bar of 70 per cent) contains approximately six teaspoons of sugar. Most people drink the full can of coke in one sitting. Most people share the bottle of red wine. And most craft chocolate consumers share and savour the bar of chocolate over a few evenings.
BUT not all chocolate is created equal. If you examine the ingredients of a mass-produced milk (or dark) chocolate bar, you’ll notice the mass-produced bar contains a far higher sugar content (60 per cent in some cases) than the premium specialty chocolate.
So choose wisely and savour with friends. Or, better yet, savour over a number of sittings with that chocolate bar!!
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NB: Conversion rate for sugar to spoons is four grams per teaspoon
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