Couverture, (plain, bitten and bittersweet) which literally translated from the French name, by which it is universally known, means ‘covering’. However, just to confuse us all, covering chocolate in this country is not the same thing at all as I describe below. Couverture should be made from at least a minimum 46% cocoa solids - and I emphasise that this is the minimum legal necessity. Most quality chocolate which I use and for which Cacao Barry, Amedei, Valrhona, Chocolaterie de l’Opéra or Lindt, for example, gain their reputations, are made from 60%-70% (or occasionally more), cocoa solids and only 40% - 30% sugar The higher the mass and the lower the sugar content, the better the chocolate because a modest amount of sugar enhances the flavour; softening the bitterness and bringing out the true depth and flavour of the chocolate. Some couvertures have vanilla added - an excellent and very traditional partner - other couvertures do not. Hopefully, all chocolate of this quality will contain a natural vanilla, but some more commercial chocolate may contain an artificial vanillin. You can easily detect the synthetic aftertaste.
