Hello Alex:

I went to the website you gave me Chocosphere or something close to
that. I looked around and found that Valrhona has a Chuao chocolate.
However the Chuao chocolate is Bittersweet. The recipe I have calls
for unsweetened. Now there is a whole bunch of terms that seem to
describe the same.
What do all those things mean anyway?

Unsweetened
Bittersweet
Semi-sweet
Bitter

Are these things describing the same thing or different things. I
know what unsweetened means (that there was no sweetener added).
Please help, everytime I decode one system, another crazy code word
appears.

Eddy

> Porcelana - the purest Criollo, also the one with the mildest flavour.
> Extraordinarily delicate. Don't bake it in anything - this one is best
> eaten straight.
>
> Chuao - undeniably the most powerful, very "dark" in flavour. A legendary
> chocolate. Incredibly versatile: works well for straight eating, baking,
> ice cream, milk chocolate, you name it. Some people find its distinctive
> bitter finish jarring.
>
> Carenero Superior - has an unmistakeable "tropical" flavour to it, complex
> and bold. It's acquired a stellar reputation in the last few years, which
> is by and large deserved.
>
> Ocumare - commonly crossbred with Forasteros. The purebreed is a fairly
> mild, somewhat earthy/woody chocolate. A natural fit for brown sugar.
>
> Java - actually, a region more than a type, but most cocoa sold
> specifically as "Java" is Criollo. Sharp and spicy, quite unlike the 4
> above. It's got a creamy finish reminiscent of Porcelana, which makes it
> the ideal bean for milk chocolate, as many manufacturers indeed use.
>
> Guasare - brand new and not so developed. I've not seen a pure Guasare bar
> yet. Earthy and deep, somewhat similar to Ocumare. El Rey may be
> experimenting with it.