What does cocoa percentage mean?
Cocoa percentage (also written cacao percentage) is the share of a chocolate bar made from cacao-derived ingredients: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The rest is mostly sugar, plus any milk.
Cocoa and cacao percentage mean the same thing. A 70% bar is 70% cacao-derived ingredients and about 30% sugar; an 85% bar has far less sugar; a 100% bar has none at all.
The rest is usually sugar, milk, inclusions or other ingredients. That is why two 70% bars can taste completely different.
Use cocoa percentage as a quick style hint. Then look at the maker, origin and ingredient list before deciding whether a bar is worth trying.
Questions this page answers
What is a good cocoa percentage?
There is no single best number. 70-75% suits most people for a balanced dark bar, 85%+ is for low-sugar intensity, and milk chocolate is usually 30-45%. Percentage is a style hint, not a quality score.
Is a higher cocoa percentage better?
No. A higher percentage means less sugar and more cocoa, not a better bar. Origin, fermentation, roast and maker skill decide quality.
What does 70% cocoa mean?
70% of the bar is cacao-derived (cocoa solids and cocoa butter); the remaining ~30% is mostly sugar.
Are cocoa percentage and cacao percentage the same?
Yes. They are interchangeable labels for the same cacao-derived share of the bar.