What is the difference between semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate?
I know that usually when you bake cookies you use semi-sweet chocolate. But it seems that semi-sweet tastes the same as dark chocolate (well at least to my unrefined palate). Both a bit more bitter than milk chocolate. So whats the difference? I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate. And like the taste of semi-sweet as well. Just not sure what the difference was!
Comments
Comment from katie
Time February 14, 2010 at 12:30 am
Wrong
There is a differance. and if my fellow answerer specialized in chocolate, he would know
Chocolate names are determained by the percentage of cocoa in it
Dark chocolate is most often found in the 62-71% range, and has little or no sweetener added to it.
Bittersweet is around the 60-45% mark, and has some sweetener, good for baking due to most baking has sugar, so that makes the chocolate sweet without being overly sweet.
and milk chocolate is roughly around 43%. It is the best for eating, it has sweeteners and milk added to make it more palatable and appealing
White chocolate isn’t even chocolate at all. It is milk solids and cocoa oil pressed into bar form. It is quite disgusting in my opinion.
And more times than not, The darker the chocolate, the more it will cost. but that is not always the case. There is a big differances in chocolate types.
Comment from Rebecca
Time February 14, 2010 at 12:41 am
Cookin180 explained everything for you…Thumbs Up to you!…
Comment from Cookin180
Time February 14, 2010 at 12:00 am
There’s really no distinction between semi-sweet and dark. Both contain more cocoa solids than milk chocolate. They also lack milk, which is why they aren’t “milk chocolate.”
Semi-sweet is usually a name given to chocolate chips, and is typically regarded as a “lesser” quality.
Dark chocolate is usually used for eating out of hand, or used in “fancy” recipes.
However, the FDA doesn’t have any rules regarding which name is for which. They say that “dark” and “semi-sweet” fall into the same category.
But honestly, I can’t tell the difference either. I’m as happy with a bag of Nestle Semi-sweet chips as I am with a bag of Dove Dark, haha.
So the bottom line is, the only distinction is the name.
Hope this helps!
If my fellow answerer would notice, the “official” culinary world may distinguish between “dark” and “semisweet” chocolate.
I, however, was speaking of the FDA, which regulates labeling and marketing of chocolates in the States. “Dark” is a larger, umbrella term for chocolates which are higher than 43% cocoa solids, which are generally milk chocolates.
“Semisweet” and “Bittersweet” are two subcategories of “Dark”, “semisweet” containing less cocoa solids than “bittersweet”. So what the asker would be purchasing could be labeled “dark” or “semisweet”, and still be essentially the same thing.
Also, I realize that there is a difference in the “official” culinary world between “fine dark chocolate” and Nestle semisweet chips. But, I honestly can’t taste much of a difference.
And, saying milk chocolate is the “best for eating” is an opinion, not really a fact. I hate milk chocolate, and the asker said that she prefers dark to milk as well.