Dark chocolate contains more cocoa solids and less sugar than milk chocolate does.

The longer version

Chocolate makers describe a bar by the share of its weight that comes from the cacao bean itself. A darker bar is mostly ground cacao solids and cocoa butter, with only a modest amount of sugar, so the flavor leans bitter and the texture can feel firmer at room temperature. Milk chocolate swaps a portion of those solids for milk powder and more sugar, which rounds off the sharpness.

The percentage printed on a wrapper refers to total cacao content, combining both the dry solids and the fat, which is why two bars with the same number can still taste different. Bean origin, roasting time, and conching also shift the result, so the percentage alone tells only part of the story.

Where this entry sits

Everyday ingredients turn out to be full of quiet chemistry and long history. This collection gathers short, plain explanations of how bread rises, why onions sting, where common spices originate, and how coffee, tea, and chocolate reached the modern kitchen. The full list sits on the Food and Drink page, where every entry is listed in order.