Dark chocolate is surprisingly polarizing — people either love it or hate it. But regardless of where you stand on the dark chocolate argument, there is one particular choice that both sides just might be able to agree on. Chowhound took a look at a plethora of dark chocolate brands available at stores across the country and ranked them from best to worst in terms of taste and texture, and one particular brand stood out from all the rest as the one you should avoid dropping into your shopping cart: Taza Wicked Dark. Let’s dig a little deeper into why this bar landed at the bottom among varieties that range from mainstream household names to ethically minded brands that stress sustainability.
Taza is known for using stone-ground, unrefined chocolate. In the case of the Wicked Dark bar, the chocolate is made from 95% cacao and very little sugar. This made it a good option for someone looking for a diet snack, but the chalkiness even disqualified it from being used as an ingredient to be added to a recipe, along with added sugar like a hot chocolate. While other bars in the test ran the gamut in terms of taste and overall mouth feel, chocolate lovers may be happier trying one of Taza’s alternatives, like the Cookie Crunch bar or the Raspberry Crunch bar that pair other flavors with the brand’s signature unrefined chocolate, creating a more balanced bar.
Taza redeems itself when it comes to consumer safety
Taza’s Wicked Dark may have landed itself at the bottom of Chowhound’s list thanks to its chalky taste, but the brand has other varieties that just may redeem the brand itself. The Taza Deliciously Dark chocolate bar is considered one of the safest brands of dark chocolate to eat, which is a pretty big deal when you consider that a 2023 study by Consumer Reports discovered high amounts of lead and cadmium — which can have extremely harmful effects on the human body — in many brands of commercial dark chocolate.
While Taza’s Wicked Dark chocolate bar came in dead last in our assessment thanks to its off-putting chalkiness, it is worth mentioning the context of this texture, which was developed through an intentional choice by the company. When you are ready to go grab some dark chocolate that is worthy of your hard-earned cash when you make your next shopping run, try the chocolate that did win the title of the best dark chocolate at the grocery store: Cadbury Royal Dark. This decadent bar from the brand that is synonymous with Valentine’s Day and Easter stood out with smooth, creamy texture and sweet, chocolatey flavor.
