Bittersweet Chocolate

Unsweetened, bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate depends mostly on the percentage of cacao the chocolate contains. As the cacao percentage increases, the chocolate itself will taste more intensely chocolatey and less sweet. Bittersweet chocolate is a variety of chocolate with a cacao percentage of around 70%.

In North America, the FDA requires bittersweet chocolate to contain at least 35 percent cacao, but most manufacturers make their bars with 50 to 60 percent. In Great Britain, the figure is somewhat higher, rising to 43 percent. The high cacao content makes the chocolate flavor deep and less sweet, with a slightly dry or crumbly texture

Bittersweet chocolate is essentially a mixture of chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, and sometimes vanilla. Often, lecithin is added as an emulsifying agent.

Bittersweet chocolate is darker than milk chocolate and semisweet chocolate. It is not quite as dark as true dark chocolate (which usually has a cacao percentage above seventy-five percent) or unsweetened chocolate. Bittersweet chocolate is used for most baked goods and desserts and for dipping and coating.
Bittersweet Chocolate

Semi-sweet Chocolate

There are also different types of chocolates classified according to their taste. Thus, there is the sweetened chocolate, semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate, German sweet chocolate etc.

Semi-sweet chocolate is a subcategory of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate must have a minimum of 35% cocoa solids. The range of ‘sweetness’ in semi-sweet chocolate varies greatly from bar to bar. Alongside sugar percentages, the amount of cocoa solids in a chocolate bar can determine whether it is considered semi-sweet. Ultimately, the higher the cocoa content, the more bitter the flavor.

Semi-sweet chocolate contains half sugar and half cocoa and is sweeter than bittersweet chocolate. There is no exact amount of sugar required to be called “semisweet,” but the name generally indicates that no more than 50% of the mass of the chocolate is sugar. It is used mostly in baking different confectionary items. If the amount of sugar is any higher than 50%, chocolate classifies as sweet chocolate.

Semisweet chocolate is not eaten as a candy but rather used in cooking. It has a sweet flavor, smooth texture and works well in baked goods, desserts, for coating and dipping. Semi-sweet chocolate may or may not have any milk. High percentage of cocoa solids in semisweet chocolate makes it rich and smooth.

The thing that makes semisweet chocolate special is that it has a good balance of chocolate and sweetness that makes it exceptionally versatile and able to work well in just about all recipes.
Semi-sweet Chocolate