July 3, 2013
There's a big debate going on about European versus American chocolates: is one better than the other? However, there is no debate. Neither European nor American chocolate can be consideredbetter, it's really just a matter of taste preference.
To distinguish between American and European chocolate there are four major differences. One of these is the cocoa content. The US requires a smaller percentage of cocoa in their chocolate, ten percent to be precise, while everything considered chocolate in Europe is twenty percent or more. For example, if you were to compare a Hershey bar made in America to a Cadbury Dairy Milk bar made in Europe, you would find a significant difference in taste. That's because these Cadbury milk bars contain 23 percent cocoa compared to the American-made Hershey bars, which contain only eleven percent cocoa, resulting in a much darker and richer flavor in the Cadbury bar.
The other big difference is the sugar content. Because American chocolate has a smaller cocoa percentage, it has a higher sugar content. Therefore, Americans are typically known for their lighter, sweeter milk chocolate, while Europeans consider their chocolate to be almost bitter due to its low sugar content.
Fat content is another distinction between American and European chocolate. When adding cocoa butter and cream to their chocolates, Americans and Europeans differ in both the amount and fat content. European chocolates, with their smoother, richer flavors, use European butter and cream, which have a higher fat content. To accentuate the softness of the chocolates, Europe also uses more cocoa butter, which further accentuates the difference in taste.
Finally, there is a difference between where Europe and America get their cocoa beans from. American chocolatiers usually use beans from South America, while Europeans, such as those in Britain, often use beans from West Africa instead. Different beans result in different flavors, so depending on your palette, one type of bean may taste better than another.
So there is really no debate about whether American or European chocolate is better; it's really just a matter of preference. American chocolate is lighter and sweeter; by using a smaller selection of ingredients, such as caramel, almonds, peanuts and chocolate cream. European chocolate is darker and richer in comparison. The ingredients can be anything from fruits, nuts, spices and herbs to caramel, ganaches and more. It's up to you to decide which one you like most!
Want to try our European and American chocolates? Or perhaps discover it during a virtual chocolate tasting? We've got you covered!
- Buy European artisan chocolate makers
- Koop American Craft Chocolate Makers
- Buy European vs American Virtual Chocolate Tasting
Kim Kibler
- Better with chocolate
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26 comments
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As an American who immigrated to Ireland, I agree that some American chocolate can be "cheap", but I have also had "cheap" European chocolate. Quality knows no bounds, but the original cocoa came from South America, and the US still uses South American beans, which I have found do not cause migraines, while my experience with quality European, African chocolate causes migraines. I still love my chocolate, and thank goodness for the painkillers, because taste-wise there are positives to chocolate from both sides of the ocean.
Jamie O’Donoghue
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American chocolate is fine. Stop trying to be pretentious, it's designed to be as attractive as possible. Chocolate from other countries tastes bitter and boring. I'm sorry, but what's the appeal of eating something that tastes like coffee powder?
Hunt
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Once again an article based on outdated and misleading information. Why not write an article about why American wine is inferior to European wine? Oh, that's right, because the Americans have proven once and for all that American wine is indeed far superior. So don't compare American Hershey's chocolate (our worst quality) with the very best in Europe. There is also cheap chocolate coming from Europe, but no one counts the crap from Aldi and the like that tastes like new chocolate toothpaste and has the same consistency. Compare the best American chocolate with the very best European chocolate in a blind taste test and watch the Europeans go into a fit and reclaim their score cards, just like they did at the Judgment of Paris. (Compare the best European supermarket chocolate with the best American supermarket chocolate and you'll find the same thing.) In '76 we said it was a fluke that we won until it happened, and again year after year. Finally, everyone admitted that American wine is far superior. There is no comparison. Only the Europeans can't bring themselves to say it, so we all call it "California wine" instead of American wine. Face it, we have better wine, better food, including chocolate, and even better skiing. Even our bread has surpassed the overbaked French loaves sold in bakeries in Paris and throughout France. I've even read that French bakers are trying to "educate" (more like re-educate) the French that baguettes should be toasted, but even the French resist that lesson and want a lighter loaf so they can reheat it at home without it. are turned to stone. I've had them all, married to a pilot. Been there, eaten that. Our "Take and Bake" baguette (well in the paper bag with the cellophane window) from The Piggly Wiggly is better than breaking your healthy American teeth and hurting the pink gums, rock hard burnt baguette at Boulangerie Utopie in Paris. Who knows, I haven't been there in years, maybe the French are finally doing what American consumers who refused to be "re-educated" demanded: a lighter bread that you can heat up at home. I'm so tired of hearing Europeans destroy the US. It's like their hobby.
KaththeeT
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