Chocolate, the dark side

About a month or so ago, I was speaking with a dear co-worker.  I found out something very interesting about her on that fine day.  She's a chocolate snob.  She will not eat milk chocolate, only dark.  And, not just any dark chocolate will satisfy her, we're talking about chocolate ordered and shipped from countries made of chocolate.

I tried to reason with her, explaining that milk chocolate is the chocolate of the people.  This did not sway her.  Instead, she tried to sway me.  I've never been much of a dark chocolate eater.  I liked dark chocolate with mint, but not much else.

She offered to bring in some of her stash for me to try.  She believed that if I started eating the "good stuff" that I would cross over to the dark side , just as she had.  I accepted this experiment.  I told her that I would eat only dark chocolate for a time, no milk chocolate.  I would then try milk chocolate later to see if my taste for it had changed.

About a week later, she came to me with a plastic baggie of chocolate.  The chocolates ranged from 60-some% cocoa to 80-some% cocoa.  The more cocoa, the more bitter.  I started with the lesser percentage and worked my way up.  Although bitter, they weren't bad.  I still did not enjoy them more than milk chocolate.

A week later, I bought a 70-some% cocoa bar of chocolate.  When I tried it, I found it to be okay, but not as good as what she had given me.  It was at this point that I tasted what she meant about chocolate vs. quality chocolate.  In the next two weeks, I found myself opting for dark chocolate options.  I have always skipped over dark chocolate options, so this was a noticeable change.

After about a month, I did try milk chocolate again.  A Ghirardelli square with hazelnuts, to be specific.  It was delicious as usual.  I also received another baggie from my dealer.  This time it was dark chocolate covered candied orange peels.  They were excellent.  I, again, bought a bar of dark chocolate.  This time only 40-some% cocoa with orange and almond bits.  Very good.

So, I ask, where did this experiment lead me?...

• I still enjoy milk chocolate.
• I am not a huge fan of the higher percentage cocoa options.
• There is a tasteable difference in the quality of chocolate.
• I gained an appreciation for dark chocolate AND find myself choosing it over milk chocolate on occasion. 

With that said, thank you, dear co-worker, for the great chocolate exposure of 2011...we'll see if this keeps evolving.  If nothing else, you did push me a few steps closer to the dark side.