Is Milk Chocolate Inferior to Dark Chocolate?
June 8, 2010
I was asked a question like this recently, "is milk chocolate considered inferior to dark chocolate?"
Inferior? No.
Not as “in”? Yes.
People that work in the chocolate world do not view milk chocolate as inferior to dark. A good quality milk chocolate is just as complex in flavor as a good quality dark chocolate.
One might argue that the milk chocolate enthusiast is at a disadvantage when it comes to experiencing the undiluted flavors of cacao. Still, bringing forth layers of toffee and honey flavors from a precisely conched (cooked) milk chocolate is an art form.
It really comes down to your flavor profile preferences.
However, there is no disputing the fact that right now, at this moment in time, dark chocolate is The Chosen One. Chocolate manufacturers and the press inundate consumers with messages that dark chocolate is not only better in flavor, but is better for us.
From this point of view I can see how the “chocolate world” makes it look as if milk chocolate is inferior (and sends the milk chocolate lover into hiding).
Not too long ago, the opposite was true. People had difficulty appreciating dark chocolate and it was also difficult to find.
In the past plenty of my friends learned that my favorite chocolate contained 70% cacao and they screwed up their faces in disgust. “How can you stand that bitter stuff?” they would ask me. “That reminds me of the time I ate a piece of my mom’s baking chocolate out of desperation. I could just gag!”
So, the pendulum swings back and forth.
In spite of trends, within the sphere of chocolatiers and artisans, there will always be respect and appreciation for great chocolate no matter the color.
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