How to Choose the Right Chocolate for Taste, Occasion & Ethics
Dark Espresso Piura 62% (ICA Silver Award)
📷 Ochre Brands
Choosing Chocolate Is About More Than Just Sweetness
With so many options, from bold dark bars to silky milk chocolate and nut-filled creations, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by choice. But here’s the truth: great chocolate isn’t just about flavour, it’s also about how it’s made, who it supports, and how it fits your values.
Whether you’re seeking a truly unique culinary experiment, or simply looking to expand your horizons, this guide will help you choose the right chocolate for your taste, the occasion, and the planet.
1. Start With Flavour: What Do You Enjoy?
Chocolate isn’t one-note. High-quality chocolate, like Ochre Brand’s, can offer a wide spectrum of flavours depending on origin, meaning each one reflects the unique terroir, climate, and fermentation practices of its region. Here's how to choose based on flavour preferences:
Here’s a quick tasting style guide:
Piura
Profile: Bright, creamy, citrusy, nutty
Tasting Notes: Tangerine, white flowers, light tropical fruit
Variety: Gran Blanco (Criollo)
Perfect For: Fans of light, elegant, and creamy chocolate with aromatic complexity
Made from heritage Gran Blanco cacao, with at least 40% rare albino cacao beans. Piura’s beans are rare, deliciously creamy, and delicately acidic, offering a refreshing twist on dark chocolate.
Cuzco
Profile: Floral, elegant, balanced
Tasting Notes: Passion fruit, liquorice, cherry
Variety: Chuncho (Criollo)
Perfect For: Those who love bold, rich flavours with smooth cocoa depth
Grown at high altitude in the Andes, the renowned Chuncho cacao of Cuzco is grown, with the cacao having ties to the imperial era.
San Martín
Profile: Nutty, earthy, intense
Tasting Notes: Pecan, banana, tobacco
Variety: Finos de Aroma (Criollo/Trinitario)
Perfect For: Those who enjoy exploring truly exotic and grounding flavours
San Martín’s Amazonian climate lends these beans a gentle roastiness and natural bitterness, ideal for an extremely unique chocolate experience.
Amazonas
Profile: Deep, lactic, creamy
Tasting Notes: Blueberry, coffee, almond
Variety: Criollo
Perfect For: Adventurous palates looking for layered, aromatic complexity
These beans carry tannic structure and floral top notes, perfect for pairing with cheese or wine.
Huánuco
Profile: Creamy, toasty, balanced
Tasting Notes: Caramel, almonds, malt
Variety: Finos de Aroma (Criollo/Trinitario)
Perfect For: Lovers of milk chocolate or approachable dark bars
Huánuco cacao is rich and well-rounded, with a toasty sweetness that appeals to both newcomers and connoisseurs alike.
2. Look Beyond the Label: Choose with Purpose
Most chocolate is produced under poor labour conditions and with little regard for farmers or the environment. That’s why ethical sourcing should be part of your selection criteria, even if the bar looks fancy.
Here’s what to look for:
Direct or traceable sourcing
No child labour or exploitative practices
Fair trade or better-than-fair prices
Regenerative or agroforestry practices
Minimal, real ingredients—no palm oil, soy lecithin, or artificial flavours
At Ochre Brands, our Peruvian cacao is sourced from small-holder farmers and cooperatives, and every chocolate you enjoy contributes to farmer empowerment and rainforest preservation.
3. Read the Ingredients Like a Pro
A short, clean ingredient list is the sign of real chocolate. For example:
Ingredients: Peruvian Cacao (Piura), Cane Sugar, Same Origin Cacao Butter
Avoid:
Added vegetable oils or unspecified cacao butter origins
“Natural flavour” as a substitute for real cacao
Excess sugar (more than the first or second ingredient)
4. Still Not Sure? Let Us Help
Our website offers insights into high quality chocolate, you can always contact us for help and more info!
