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Is there such a thing as bad chocolate?

By KATHY SAUNDERS
Published March 8, 2006

Researchers and nutrition expert are singing the praises of the cancer-fighting properties of dark chocolate. Some are even comparing its health benefits to those of apples.

Who are the Taster's Choice panelists to question those claims? We took the challenge seriously, sampling five varieties of dark chocolate from bay area grocery stores.

We looked for chocolates with a high percentage of cocoa. Most of our selections claimed to be pure dark chocolates, 60 percent of which is made from cocoa solids ground roasted chocolate beans with no added sugar or milk products.

Cadbury, maker of my favorite, apparently not-as-healthy milk chocolates, also won the dark chocolate test. Cadbury $1.39 for a large bar received 82 out of 100 points from our panelists. All five said they would buy it.

"This is what I want for Valentine's Day and every other day,'' one judge said.

Cadbury's bar was shiny and smooth. The dark color looked rich and the taste was the perfect balance between bitter and sweet.

One panelist thought it had a "slight liquor taste."

Cadbury's had a melt-in-your mouth quality that had me nibbling on the bar long after the tasting ended.

Hershey's Extra Dark pure dark chocolate ($2.99) was the second choice of panelists, who gave the tiny bars 73 points.

Hershey's sells the dark candies in a handy pack of individually wrapped sampler pieces. They are almost too easy to drop in your lunch box or purse; in fact, four of the five judges said they plan to do just that.

The Hershey's candies were among the darkest of the dark chocolates. They were glimmering and looked appetizing. And they had a nice, thick bite to them.

"They are small, but sturdy,'' said one judge.

A chocolate bar from Lindt ($2.29) was the third pick with 61 points.

The Lindt sample wasn't quite as sweet as the others, but it was definitely softer. Three of the five judges said they would buy this brand.

Also sampled were dark chocolates by Ghiradelli ($3.49 for a package of 18 squares) and Dove (65 cents for a 1.3-ounce chunk).

Panelists were Nan Jensen, registered dietitian with Pinellas County Cooperative Extension; Jim Yockey, aesthetician with Indulgence Medical Day Spa in St. Petersburg; Gary Kawalec of Tampa Bay Supper Club in Safety Harbor; Bob Devin Jones, artistic director of Studio@620 in St. Petersburg; personal chef Julie Overton; and Taster's Choice columnist Kathy Saunders. All foods were tasted blind.

Send suggestions for product testing to Taste section, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731 or e-mail them to krieta@sptimes.com Please put TEST SUGGESTION in the subject line. To read past Taster's Choice columns, go to www.sptimes.com/food.

[Last modified March 9, 2006, 08:53:41]