The Dark Chocolate That Customers Should Keep Out Of Their Carts
Chocolate is one of those treats that we just can't get enough of. Regardless of whether dark chocolate is actually healthier than milk or white, it's really the taste that matters most to us. It should have a satisfying balance between sweet sugar and complex cocoa, but unfortunately, there are bound to be some duds even in the dark chocolate game. When we tried and ranked 11 dark chocolate bars, one stood out as the least impressive. The Simple Truth Organic Sea Salt 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate Bar didn't give us the right combination of flavors, ultimately leaving us dissatisfied.
In our taste test, we found this bar to lack the complex notes and richness that dark chocolate is synonymous with. Normally, salt in dark chocolate creates a tango of sweet and salty flavors that balance each other out perfectly. In this bar, however, the chocolate itself is pretty weak and leans fruity. There aren't many layers or nuances in the taste. Not even the sea salt can salvage this boring bar of chocolate. Is it inedible? No, it's serviceable if you're in a pinch, but it's definitely the worst of the bars we tried.
What to do if you already bought Simple Truth Organic dark chocolate
The Simple Truth Organic Sea Salt 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate Bar is totally unremarkable. The chocolate is flat; the salt is salt. Sure, you can slog through the entire bar, eating it bit by bit while gritting your teeth and wishing you had something better. Or instead, you can take that chocolate and transform it into something tastier. Incorporate it into any number of ridiculously chocolatey recipes, either in chunks or after melting it into a liquid. Pairing this chocolate with cocoa powder, vanilla bean, or espresso can help turn up the volume.
Personally, our favorite easy trick to make any subpar chocolate better is simply turning it into hot chocolate. Take your Simple Truth dark chocolate bar, cut it up, and melt those pieces over medium-low heat along with your milk of choice. Stir the mixture frequently so it doesn't scorch. Keep going until the chocolate is well-incorporated and you're left with a creamy, delicious drink. Of course, a higher quality bar makes it even better, like one from the best brand of dark chocolate we tried: Chocolove. But if you're in a pinch and you don't want to waste what you already have, hot chocolate puts it to good use.