Originally posted by IN Noosa Magazine, June 2024.
For most chocolate enthusiasts, milk chocolate has traditionally been the favourite, but this trend is taking a dark turn with a better understanding of the health and flavour benefits of cacao-rich chocolate. Melanie Rosettenstein puts dark chocolate to the taste test.
Perhaps it’s because of the milk chocolate eggs we devour at Easter time that our tastebuds are conditioned to reach for the milk chocolate when we feel a sweet craving come on. But Noosa Chocolate Factory’s Nick Southon says the preference for milk chocolate is changing as more and more people swing towards dark chocolate to satisfy their sweet cravings with less sugar and increased health benefits.
“We used to see about one in three people preferring milk chocolate but these days we’re seeing about 40% of our customers opting for our dark chocolate options,” he says.
The reason behind this shift, Nick believes, could be a matter of taste as people get older or it could be due to Noosa Chocolate Factory’s unique manufacturing process which sets them apart from other chocolate makers.
“It could be that people’s tastes change as they get older or it could boil down to the chemistry of it,” he said. “We’re the only company that produces chocolate slabs the way we do, and we make all of our jellies from scratch. This allows us to meticulously control the balance between sweet and bitter, resulting in an exceptional taste experience.”
The best local ingredients, precise temperature control, and time are what make Noosa Chocolate Factory’s delicious slabs so good. The ingredients such as mangoes, strawberries, honeycomb, nuts, and a dozen other delectables are coated using a panning technique which involves slowly drizzling the chocolate over them until they are fully-coated.
Nick said they carefully blend different levels of chocolate to achieve the perfect taste with less sugar in the dark chocolate products.
To test this theory, Nick put me through my paces, to sample the dark chocolate slabs, starting with the 100% option which is ideal for the cacao purist. Admittedly the 100% option was too bitter for my palate but as I proceeded through the percentage ranks, trying the 90%, the 85%, and 73% options, the chocolate tasted smoother and sweeter.
After I’d tried all options, Nick offered me his favourite to sample, the Black Cherry Slab. After admitting that he eats this particular slab with the same fervour as a labrador, he said he would eat his hat if this one did not become my favourite choice as well.
Well, Nick’s hat is safe. The Cherry Slab (with a high cacao content of 70%) is the perfect example of dark chocolate balanced with the sharp and satisfying sweetness of soft black cherries.
The benefits of dark chocolate, if consumed in moderation, are many. It is rich in antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties, contains serotonin to reduce stress and anxiety, and is an excellent source of essential minerals such as iron and magnesium.
Dark chocolate is also known to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease by increasing good cholesterol and decreasing bad cholesterol. Don’t let dietary or lifestyle choices come between you and the heavenly choices on offer at Noosa Chocolate Factory — all products are free from palm oil, most are coeliac-friendly, and the dedicated vegan-friendly range also suit those with dairy issues – and are absolutely divine!
If this article has made you grab your car keys and head for the Noosa Chocolate Factory to buy one, two, or many slabs of dark chocolate then be sure to store your chocolate at room temperature in a cool, dry place to experience the best flavour profile.
With its health benefits and bold flavour hit, I’ve been converted to the art of dark chocolate so I’m not sure storage will be required for long.
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