Most of us will be very familiar with milk, dark and white chocolate. Many of us have a preference and probably just as many of us love all three so is there room for another kind of chocolate? Ruby chocolate is a new variety that have been in development for over a decade before Belgian chocolate company Barry Callebaut finally released it in China in 2017. It is now available in Europe thanks to Nestle who produced their newest KitKat in Ruby chocolate.
So, what IS Ruby Chocolate?
It’s made from ruby cocoa beans, bean varieties that have been identified as having certain attributes to make them suitable for the new pink confection. Production methods are being kept fairly secret within the trade, but it’s understood that the beans are barely fermented, if at all and stay a naturally pink/purple colour.
What does it taste like?
This does give a slight sour taste to the finished chocolate, but its colour does make you think that this a fruity flavour rather than just acidic. There is a lower cocoa content than in milk chocolate too. On a sweetness scale, its somewhere between milk and white chocolate. According to Callebaut, the flavour is “a tension between berry-fruitiness and luscious smoothness”, which sounds tantalising.
What can you do with it?
A type of ruby chocolate aimed at chocolatier and pastry chefs was introduced in the Middle East chocolate market last year; known as Ruby RB1 it will entice chocolate lovers everywhere to get creative and make the most of the beautiful colour. Chocolatiers can buy the couverture (the basic chocolate chips) from many online retailers including Cake Craft Co and are limited only by their imagination.
Sadly, this beautiful looking chocolate is not something that Annie’s will be using as it contains milk – but if we ever find any that is vegan friendly, you can be sure we will give it a try!
