Chocolate & Candy

With dark chocolate, the cacao percentage on the front of the bar is your best guide: the higher the number, the deeper and less sweet the bar, from approachable 72 percent bars flavoured with forest mint up to intense 90 percent squares for serious dark-chocolate fans. Many of the makers on this shelf highlight organic ingredients and ethical sourcing right on the label, so it's easy to pick a bar that matches both your taste and your values.

The candy side is just as considered. Chewy ginger candies deliver genuine spice from real ginger, sesame bites offer a nutty, halva-style sweet, and dark-chocolate-covered almonds split the difference between candy and snack. Several options are made with fewer or alternative sweeteners, and dietary labelling — vegan, gluten-free, organic — comes straight from each manufacturer. As always with treats, the label tells the story; check it if a specific diet matters, and use the filters to shop by brand or price.