Why Aldi's Chocolate Bars Taste So Good

Aldi seems like the last place you'd find delicious imported chocolate. However, the international grocer known for its low prices carries European chocolate with outstanding flavor at a very reasonable price. Don't let the low price fool you. This is premium chocolate and one of the best things you can buy at Aldi.

Two chocolate brands you can find at Aldi are Moser Roth and Choceur. Both are made in Germany — Aldi has its roots there — and both have an assortment of flavors. The standard chocolate bars come in dark and milk varieties and start at only $1.64 a bar — a darn great deal for European chocolate! Both brands also put out more specialty varieties of their chocolates, sold at Aldi throughout the year like seasonal holiday chocolates.

Aldi's chocolate bars taste as good as they do because European chocolate is creamier than chocolate typically made in the U.S. Though it can vary from maker to maker, European chocolatiers tend to use 14% milk solids as opposed to the 12% more common in American chocolate. The amount of milk fat is also higher in European varieties. European-made chocolate has more actual cocoa than American brands, which gives the chocolate a richer and more complex flavor.

American chocolate has some other potential problems, too. Some U.S. chocolate contains butyric acid, a by-product of milk processing. This adds a somewhat unpleasant flavor to the chocolate compared to its butyric acid-free European counterparts. That taste may be widely disagreeable because, well, vomit often contains butyric acid, too. 

Aldi chocolate has other things going in its favor. Vegans will be happy to know that many of the chocolates sold at Aldi contain no dairy products. Check the labels before you buy, of course, and when you do, remember that cocoa butter is not derived from animal products. It's a plant-based fat that comes from cocoa beans and is part of what gives chocolate its velvety mouthfeel.  

While using your favorite chocolate bars to make customizable holiday bark, it's helpful that the Mosher Roth and Choceur chocolate bars come in many flavors, too, and at generally affordable prices in consideration of the quality. No matter which one you choose, you'll be getting a taste of Europe without leaving town.