With Africa and the Americas as the largest cocoa producing continents in the world
, Asia and the East Pacific area is a region not to underestimate when it comes to quality in the latest years.Here, in fact, different micro-origins and producers specializing in fine aromatic cacao profiles, from the most spiced to the most delicate, are steadily emerging.
Indonesia, for example, already known for its Java cacao (taking the name from the homonym island), makes a floral-scented cacao from the island of Sumatra, included in this blissful Bonnat Chocolat au Lait Origin Asfarth 65%. A sought-after single-origin cacao merges with the more intense flavor of whole milk powder in this yummy dark milk chocolate bar.
The surprising aspect of this tasting is the low sensation of sweetness, which, mistakenly, is attributed to milk chocolate without making a distinction between the amount of cacao and milk and that of sugar.
Is milk chocolate always sweeter than dark chocolate? Not necessarily. With a 15-20% milk and a remaining 15-20% sugar, a 65% dark milk chocolate is less sweet than a 70% dark, as the lactose naturally occurring in the milk is only 15% as sweet as sucrose.