Dark, Milk, White, Blonde and Ruby: A Guide to the Types of Chocolate

Three Makaw 100g chocolate bars side by side: Peru 65% dark, The Zephyr blonde and The Ruby naturally pink

Walk into a chocolate shop and the labels start to multiply: dark, milk, white, blonde, ruby, single origin, marbled. They are easier to understand than they look. Each type is a different balance of cocoa, milk and sugar, and each suits a different mood.

Here is a plain guide to the main types of chocolate, what they taste like, and which Makaw bar to try for each. Every bar is 100g and crafted in France.

Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is made from cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sugar, with no milk. The percentage on the wrapper tells you how much of the bar comes from cocoa. The higher the number, the more intense and less sweet it tends to taste.

Our single origin dark bars show how much the place the cocoa grew affects the flavour. Peru 65% has a smoky, woody flavour balanced with fruitiness and acidity, and is the most approachable of the three. Vietnam 73% is intense, with deep wood and tobacco notes and a subtle acidity. Tanzania 75% is the most intense, sharp and gently acidic with floral and fruity notes. Tasting the three side by side is a good way to start.

MAKAW Peru 65% dark chocolate bar beside its illustrated sleevePeru 65% – Dark Chocolate – 100gMAKAW Vietnam 73% dark chocolate bar beside its illustrated sleeveVietnam 73% – Dark Chocolate – 100gMAKAW Tanzania 75% dark chocolate bar beside its gold illustrated sleeveTanzania 75% – Dark Chocolate – 100g

If you prefer your dark chocolate with a little sweetness, try the Caramel Crunch, covered in sticky sea salt caramel bits, or the Caramel Cream Filled bar.

Milk chocolate

Milk chocolate adds milk to the mix, which makes it smoother, creamier and sweeter than dark. It is the most familiar type and the easiest to enjoy. Our hazelnut praline and pistachio praline bars have a crisp milk chocolate shell and a soft praline centre. The Fruit & Nuts bar is covered in crushed hazelnuts, whole almonds and pistachios, and the Rice Crispy bar is a favourite with children and adults alike.

MAKAW Hazelnut Praline milk chocolate bar beside its marbled illustrated sleeveHazelnut Praline – Milk Chocolate – 100gMAKAW Pistachio Praline milk chocolate bar beside its green illustrated sleevePistachio Praline – Milk Chocolate – 100gMAKAW Fruit and Nuts milk chocolate bar beside its watercolour sleeveFruit & Nuts – Milk Chocolate – 100gMAKAW Rice Crispy milk chocolate bar beside its illustrated sleeveRice Crispy – Milk Chocolate – 100g

White chocolate

White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, milk and sugar, without the dark cocoa solids. That is why it is ivory in colour and so creamy. It is sweet, soft and rounded rather than bitter. Our White & Ruby Marble bar pairs it with naturally pink ruby chocolate, and our Mont Blanc bonbons put a sea salt milk and dark chocolate ganache inside a white chocolate shell. See them in the Small Mont Blanc box.

MAKAW Ruby and White marble chocolate bar beside its illustrated sleeveWhite & Ruby – Marble Chocolate – 100gOpen gold MAKAW box of 15 Mont Blanc pyramid bonbons with the boutique cardSmall Mont Blanc – 15 Chocolate Bonbons

Blonde chocolate

Blonde chocolate starts as white chocolate that is cooked slowly until it caramelises. The result is golden in colour, with a toasted, caramel-like depth that surprises people who think they do not like white chocolate. The Zephyr is our blonde bar, and our Golden Chocolate Shells combine milk and blonde chocolate shells with slivers of salted caramel.

MAKAW The Zephyr blonde chocolate bar beside its gold llama illustrated sleeveThe Zephyr – Blonde Chocolate – 100gSmall clear MAKAW pack of gold wrapped chocolate shells on a gold tray with a black ribbonGolden Chocolate Shells Pack – 250g

Ruby chocolate

Ruby is often called the fourth type of chocolate, after dark, milk and white. Its pink colour is completely natural, and its flavour is sweet yet tangy, with a fruity brightness you do not find in the other types. Makaw introduced ruby chocolate to the UAE in 2019. Read more in our guide to ruby chocolate.

To taste it in its purest form, try The Ruby Naturally Pink Chocolate. For a gentler introduction, the Ruby & Dark Marble bar swirls it into our signature dark chocolate.

MAKAW The Ruby pink chocolate bar beside its cheetah illustrated sleeveThe Ruby – Naturally Pink Chocolate – 100gMAKAW Ruby and Dark marble chocolate bar beside its illustrated sleeveRuby & Dark – Marble Chocolate – 100g

Marbled chocolate

Marbled bars swirl two chocolates together, so each piece tastes slightly different. They are a good answer when you cannot decide between two styles. Options include Caramel Milk & White, Salted Caramel Milk & Dark, Dark & Orange and Coffee Bean Milk & Dark.

MAKAW Caramel Milk and White marble chocolate bar beside its illustrated sleeveCaramel Milk & White – Marble Chocolate – 100gMAKAW Salted Caramel Milk and Dark marble bar beside its illustrated sleeveSalted Caramel Milk & Dark – Marble Chocolate – 100gMAKAW Orange and Dark marble bar beside its gold fox illustrated sleeveDark & Orange – Marble Chocolate – 100gMAKAW Coffee Bean milk and dark marbled bar beside its yellow illustrated sleeveCoffee Bean – Milk & Dark Marbled Chocolate – 100g

How to taste chocolate properly

Break a piece and listen for a clean snap. Smell it before you taste it. Let it melt slowly on your tongue rather than chewing, and notice how the flavour changes from the first moment to the aftertaste. Chocolate tastes best at room temperature, so if you keep it in a cool place, give it a little time before you try it. Our guide to storing chocolate in the UAE heat has more.

Where to start

If you like sweet and creamy, begin with a praline bar. If you are curious, try blonde or ruby. If you drink your coffee black, try Vietnam 73%. And if you cannot choose, the Acrylic Bar Box holds ten of our best sellers. Browse the full bars collection; we deliver across all seven Emirates.