Cocoa Nibs

• The only ingredient in unsweetened dark chocolate is cocoa nibs. Poor-quality unsweetened chocolate bars may also contain preservatives and unnatural flavorings to enhance flavor; however, these vary depending on the brand. A real unsweetened chocolate bar contains only the nibs. Cocoa nibs, also referred to as cacao nibs, are the the product of roasting the cocoa bean after it has been removed from its husk. The bean is shattered into small pieces, thus being referred to as a "nib," and it is roasted until the proper flavor is reached. Nibs can be used as-is to add unsweetened crunchiness or be ground into a paste and made into chocolate.

Process

• The process for turning cocoa nibs into an unsweetened chocolate bar involves milling and molding. After the nib is roasted and broken it is milled into a very fine paste known as chocolate liquor. Chocolate liquor is responsible for the percentage rating in other bars of sweet or semisweet chocolate. Unsweetened chocolate is simply the molding of the chocolate liquor into pure squares or bars that are then wrapped and sold at the supermarket.

Possible Flavorings

• It is possible for specialty brands of unsweetened chocolates to have lines of bars that contain flavorings such as cinnamon, extracts or chili pepper. However, as unsweetened chocolate is bitter due to the lack of sugar, it is generally not consumed as-is, but it is rather singularly used for baking purposes.