Ruby chocolate facts for kids
An 80-gram, pure ruby chocolate bar
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| Type | Chocolate |
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| Place of origin | Belgium |
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Ruby chocolate is a special kind of chocolate. It was first shown in 2017 by a company called Barry Callebaut. This company is from Belgium and Switzerland. Scientists worked on ruby chocolate for many years, starting in 2004. In 2015, they got a patent for it.
Ruby chocolate was first shown to the public in Shanghai on September 5, 2017. It is called the "fourth" type of chocolate. The other main types are dark, milk, and white chocolate. Ruby chocolate is special because it has a natural pink color.
Contents
What Makes Ruby Chocolate Special?
Ruby chocolate has a unique taste. People describe it as a little sweet and a little sour. It can taste a bit like berries. This is because the chocolate is naturally acidic.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rules for ruby chocolate. It must have at least 1.5% non-fat cocoa solids. It also needs at least 20% cocoa fat by weight. Ruby chocolate can have things like spices or natural flavors. But these flavors cannot taste like other chocolates, milk, butter, or fruit. Also, no extra coloring can be added to it.
How Ruby Chocolate is Made
Ruby chocolate is made from special "ruby cocoa beans." These are specific types of cocoa beans that have the right qualities. The exact way it's made is a secret. However, many people in the chocolate industry believe it uses cocoa beans that have not been fermented. These beans might come from Brazil and naturally have a red-pink color.
Barry Callebaut got a patent in 2009 for a way to make cocoa material. This method uses unfermented cocoa beans. Or, it uses beans fermented for only a short time (less than three days). These beans become red or purple after being treated with an acid, like citric acid. Then, the fat is removed from them.
Is It a New Type of Chocolate?
Chocolate experts have different ideas about ruby chocolate. Some wonder if it's truly a new type of chocolate. Others think it might be more of a marketing idea.
One expert, Clay Gordon, believes ruby chocolate could become as varied as white chocolate. But Angus Kennedy, an editor for a candy magazine, disagrees. He thinks ruby chocolate tastes like a mix of white chocolate and raspberries.
Many people became interested in ruby chocolate because of its pink color. Pink was very popular in marketing and on social media in the 2010s. This trend was sometimes called "millennial pink."
Where to Find Ruby Chocolate
The first big release of a ruby chocolate product was on January 19, 2018. It was a new flavor of Kit Kat bar. This Kit Kat was sold in Japan and South Korea. The company that makes Kit Kat, Nestlé, had a special deal with Barry Callebaut. They had the only right to use ruby chocolate for six months. When it came out in Japan, one bar cost about 400 yen (around $3.60 USD).
In April 2018, Kit Kat also started selling ruby chocolate in the United Kingdom and Germany. In 2019, Kit Kat Canada announced they would sell it for Mother's Day.
Many other companies have also made products with ruby chocolate:
- Bachmann, a candy company in Lucerne, released ruby chocolate products in May 2018.
- Chocolove has sold a "Ruby Chocolate" bar since late 2018 or 2019.
- Insomnia Coffee Company launched a "Ruby Hot Chocolate" in March 2019.
- Costa Coffee also released a "Ruby Hot Chocolate" in January 2020.
- Häagen-Dazs released special ruby cacao ice creams in January 2020.
- Magnum made sweet cream ice cream bars dipped in ruby chocolate in January 2020.
- Harry & David sells ruby cacao truffles and a ruby cacao bar.
- Starbucks offered a "Ruby Flamingo Frappucino" in 2020.
- Francestle Chocolatier, a company in Malaysia, released a Ruby Chocolate bar.
Images for kids
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KitKat's Japanese Ruby Chocolate, introduced in 2018
See also
In Spanish: Chocolate rosa para niños
