I Just Learned Why European Chocolate Tastes So Different Than American Chocolate

Now you know!

by Michelle No

BuzzFeed Contributor

Chocolate is one of the best foods out there. We all know this.

But out of all the chocolate in the world, European chocolate always seems to taste the best, IMHO.

NBC

After I moved from New York City to Germany — and did a ton of ~chocolate testing~ in my new locale 😋 — I decided to dig into why the European stuff tastes so different (read: better) from what I was used to in the US. Here's what I learned.

A chocolate aisle in a Germany grocery store.

First of all, European chocolate is — technically speaking — creamier. Euro chocolate requires a minimum of at least 14% dry milk solids. In the US, the minimum is 12%.

European chocolate is also slightly richer because it's required to have at least 3.5% milk fat. In the US, the minimum is 3.39%.

European chocolate ALSO has a higher requirement for cocoa content — aka the ingredient that gives bars their deep, chocolatey flavor.

These differences might not seem so big, but taken together, they add up.

Pair them with the fact that Europeans consume 40% of the world's cocoa, and it wouldn't be a huge stretch to say their standards for chocolate are likely higher overall. And that'll affect everything from high-end chocolate to budget grocery store picks.

Also worth noting? When it comes to the American chocolate standard-bearer (hi, Hershey's), some say the biggest perceived difference in chocolate quality might come from its use of butyric acid — which makes chocolate last longer on shelves but gives it a "tangy" flavor that many Europeans find totally off-putting.

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I Just Learned Why European Chocolate Tastes So Different Than American Chocolate

Chocolate is one of the best foods out there. We all know this.

But out of all the chocolate in the world, European chocolate always seems to taste the best, IMHO.

After I moved from New York City to Germany — and did a ton of ~chocolate testing~ in my new locale 😋 — I decided to dig into why the European stuff tastes so different (read: better) from what I was used to in the US. Here's what I learned.

First of all, European chocolate is — technically speaking — creamier. Euro chocolate requires a minimum of at least 14% dry milk solids. In the US, the minimum is 12%.

European chocolate is also slightly richer because it's required to have at least 3.5% milk fat. In the US, the minimum is 3.39%.

European chocolate ALSO has a higher requirement for cocoa content — aka the ingredient that gives bars their deep, chocolatey flavor.

These differences might not seem so big, but taken together, they add up.

In short? Euro chocolate > American chocolate. Facts are facts!!! 🙃

And if you're currently Googling the nearest Kinder retailer, then I've done my job.

I Just Learned Why European Chocolate Tastes So Different Than American Chocolate

Chocolate is one of the best foods out there. We all know this.

But out of all the chocolate in the world, European chocolate always seems to taste the best, IMHO.

After I moved from New York City to Germany — and did a ton of ~chocolate testing~ in my new locale 😋 — I decided to dig into why the European stuff tastes so different (read: better) from what I was used to in the US. Here's what I learned.

First of all, European chocolate is — technically speaking — creamier. Euro chocolate requires a minimum of at least 14% dry milk solids. In the US, the minimum is 12%.

European chocolate is also slightly richer because it's required to have at least 3.5% milk fat. In the US, the minimum is 3.39%.

European chocolate ALSO has a higher requirement for cocoa content — aka the ingredient that gives bars their deep, chocolatey flavor.

These differences might not seem so big, but taken together, they add up.

In short? Euro chocolate > American chocolate. Facts are facts!!! 🙃

And if you're currently Googling the nearest Kinder retailer, then I've done my job.

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