www.bakemag.com/articles/12667-chocolate-companies-innovate-with-offerings

Chocolate companies innovate with offerings

10.28.2019

Monday, October 28 is National Chocolate Day. As Americans across the country indulge in chocolate, companies continue to provide new ways for them to enjoy the sweet treat.

At a recent exclusive event in San Francisco, Barry Callebaut unveiled an innovative range of products that celebrates the fresh, fruity taste and natural richness of the cacao fruit and marks the creation of a next-gen food & drink category.

‘Cacaofruit Experience’ unleashes the full power of the cacao fruit. While normally 70 percent of the fruit is discarded as waste, these products make use of the entire fruit: its beans, its nutrient-dense peel, and its fresh and fruity pulp and juice. This process results in high-quality ingredients that can be used in everything from juices, smoothies, and frozen desserts to baked goods, pastries, and snacks.

In addition, Barry Callebaut has launched its WholeFruit chocolate for chefs and artisans. This new type of chocolate is a fresh, fruity chocolate made from 100 percent pure cacao fruit. In May of 2020, it will be available in two variants: WholeFruit Bold and WholeFruit Velvety.

Since Barry Callebaut first introduced ruby chocolate, the first new natural color for chocolate in more than 80 years, other companies have taken that innovation and expanded on it. That innovation continues with Delysia Chocolatier, which has introduced artisan chocolate truffles handcrafted using ruby chocolate in the United States.

The pink chocolate truffles are made with the ruby cacao bean from South America. The Delysia Chocolatier Ruby Chocolate Truffle Collection uses ethically sourced, fresh ingredients to create an array of traditional, savory, and spicy flavor profiles that showcase the versatility and beauty of ruby cacao.

The collection features Classic, Sparkling, and Spice Ratnanayaka versions of the truffle. The Classic ruby chocolate truffle highlights its fruitiness and fresh, tart notes. The Sparkling ruby chocolate truffle features sparkling rosé wine infused into rich chocolate ganache and blended with rose petals and dried strawberries for a sweetened, floral finish. The Spice Ratnanayaka chocolate truffle is a blend of garam masala, smoked paprika, adobe peppers, and a proprietary spice blend infused with a hint of citrus.

Another chocolate manufacturer is making headlines with the way chocolate is prepared for consumers. As part of its mission to provide best-in-class tools and resources for chefs and professional bakers, Valrhona recently launched a first-of-its-kind app with premium features.

The Valrhona App includes digitized essential recipes and chocolate pairings, available to all chefs and bakers. Its user-friendly recipe creation application can run on any iOS device, enabling all chefs to quickly and easily adapt or create new recipes to showcase culinary creativity. The App automatically recalculates recipes for any chocolate.

Users can access the complete Valrhona Essentials guide with 165 customizable recipes (and growing) and a complete technical guide based on 30 years of development from its expert pastry chefs.

Other key features of the Valrhona App include an interactive pairing tool that allows users to find the perfect chocolate to go with their favorite flavors (along with suggested recipes for each pairing), an expansive collection of video tutorials by Valrhona’s expert pastry chefs, access to comprehensive chocolate tempering guides and fluidity charts, the ability to toggle between Celsius and Fahrenheit or grams and ounces with conversion calculators, access to product information and countless inspired recipes from Valrhona, and the option to contact a Valrhona Sales Team member at the push of a button.