GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Bar, 86% Cacao, 3.17 Oz Bar (Pack of 12)

The chocolate was very dry and not edible

If you're wondering what percentage cacao chocolate to get, I can describe this 86% as having just enough sugar to take the ragged edge off of the strong bitter astringency of plain cacao but not enough to make it perceivably sweet. It's bitter. (86% is the percent of cacao, the rest is mostly sugar, milk powder and butterfat). I've seen 90+% cacao chocolate, I have to question the point. To melt and bake with sure, but not to eat. If you're going to bake with it, get unsweetened baker's chocolate. I drink straight espresso all day long, I like bitter, but 90-95% cacao is too much. I'm heavy into keto and daily intermittent fasting- a square of bitter chocolate per day indulges me with keto positive, heart healthy fat and without much sugar. If you want a slightly sweet chocolate, get 70%. My favorite thing to do with very dark chocolate like this is to sprinkle a little salt on it- Himalayan pink salt. It makes it taste slightly sweeter and the interplay of bitter chocolate with salt, what it does inside your mouth is magical. Alchemy. You can sprinkle sugar on top as well to take off some of the bitter edge. Some hot ground chile- cayenne. Garam masala is outstanding. It's a great canvas. I'll sometimes melt a thin layer on top with a BBQ lighter or creme brulee torch then sprinkle the salt into the melted chocolate so it hardens and sticks. And it's great by itself for the purity of high quality cacao. Oh, and it has a LOT of caffeine and theobromine. 1 square will have you fidgeting.

I love this cacao. It’s smooth tasting and arrived in perfect condition. I’m giving up cocoa for cacao because it’s not highly processed. I decided to take a chance and I’m glad I did.

Delicious smooth dark chocolate. You can tell it’s premium dark chocolate. Comparable to Swiss chocolates. Eat it sparingly since it’s so rich.

Good value. Wish they were still in stock.