Choosing and Understanding Your Chocolate

What Is Ruby Chocolate?

Vivid pink, tangy, intriguing,ruby chocolate doesn’t go unnoticed. Commercialized in 2017 by Barry Callebaut, it quickly won over pastry chefs and trend-driven brands. But what really lies behind this unusual color? And can it truly be considered a fourth type of chocolate?

An Industrial Invention, Not a Natural Discovery

Ruby chocolate is not made from a new cocoa variety. It’s produced from existing cacao beans,primarily from Ecuador, Brazil, or Côte d’Ivoire. These beans are not genetically modified, but their natural coloring potential is activated through a secret post-harvest process, likely involving controlled fermentation and acidity adjustments.
The process is patented and proprietary to a single company, Barry Callebaut. In short, ruby chocolate is the result of an industrial invention, not a spontaneous discovery of nature.

A Very Specific Color and Taste

Ruby chocolate stands out for several reasons:

  • Its bright pink hue, achieved without artificial coloring,

  • Its tangy, berry-like flavor, reminiscent of yogurt or red fruits,

  • Its relatively low cocoa content (usually between 35% and 47%),

  • And its sweet, milky base, closer to flavored white chocolate than to a true fine chocolate bar.

A Marketing-Driven Creation

Unlike dark, milk, or white chocolate,whose recipes can vary significantly depending on the maker,ruby chocolate is standardized and only available to industrial producers under contract with Barry Callebaut.

Its global success stems mainly from a strong marketing strategy, aimed at younger consumers seeking visually striking and novel taste experiences.

Many experts argue that the pink color and acidic flavor are not as natural as advertised. The process likely involves controlled fermentation, pH manipulation, and possibly added acids, rather than a spontaneous expression of the bean itself.

Orfève’s Approach

At Orfève, we don’t use ruby chocolate. Our mission is to highlight the natural richness of fine cacao through honest craftsmanship,without additives, flavor enhancers, or patented processes.

The color of our chocolates may vary slightly, from mahogany brown to deep black, depending on origin. But always inrespect of the bean’s integrity.

Ruby chocolate, while technically innovative, represents an industrial and standardized logic that differs fundamentally from our values.