Bittersweet chocolates are simply a sweetened form of plain chocolate that contains no milk.  It is basically a mixture of chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, and quite often, vanilla.  Plus you might see a substance called lecithin on a label.  That is added to serve as an emulsifier.

Cocoa that is produced via the grinding of its beans into a liquid form is usually referred to as chocolate liquor, which ironically contains no alcohol whatsoever.  Unsweetened baking chocolate is chocolate liquor that has been solidified.

In the North America, a standard is set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that bittersweet chocolates are required to contain at least thirty-five percent chocolate liquor.  While in the United Kingdom, the figure is usually as high as forty-three percent.

It is readily understandable that the more chocolate liquor the chocolate contains, the more intense the flavor you would expect the flavor to be.  Some high quality chocolates contain chocolate liquor as high as 65 to 70 percent, or more.

Terms such as bittersweet and semisweet are usually interchanged in conversations and printed materials, and technically they are identical.  But socially some define certain traits that separate the two.

Often people will say that bittersweet chocolate consists of more chocolate liquor and less sugar than semisweet chocolate.  But semisweet chocolates still must contain at least 35% of liquor, making the two types of chocolates equal in legal definition.  That is why the terms semisweet and bittersweet can be used interchangeably in cooking and baking processes, yielding good results.

Recent studies over the past few years have uncovered that the regular consumption and intake of small quantities of bittersweet chocolates certain health benefits.

A big benefit is that it reduces heart diseases, due to the high flavonoid contents of dark chocolate.  Flavonoids like epicathecin and gallic acid are pretty much abundant in dark chocolates.  Blood pressure lowering is also an attribute which is associated with bittersweet chocolates. 

Getting your health benefits from chocolate doesn't require the chocolate in any particular shape.  Call it bittersweet, semisweet, or dark chocolate.  Find it in bars, chips, drops, or chunks.  Whatever your preference there's a way to enjoy a little chocolate.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Joanna Maligaya

Staff Writer/Content Developer at Chocolate University Online

Ever since she can remember, Joanna has always considered chocolate as the ultimate food for her soul. She believes in the saying, “9 out of 10 people love chocolate, and the 10th always lies.”

Latest posts by Joanna Maligaya (see all)

• Whipped Cream Chocolate Frosting Recipe - December 3, 2014
• Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Recipe - November 26, 2014
• Broiled Banana Chocolate Pudding Recipe - November 19, 2014