The Belgian chocolate and cocoa supplier said that consumers increasingly are demanding authentic ingredients, and interest has grown in diverse single origin cocoa products. Its new cocoa and chocolate products aim to tap into the trend.
The company claims that its new cocoa powder is the first Cameroon origin cocoa powder on the market, with a dark red color and a taste profile with a hint of smokiness. The powder is particularly suited to bakery applications, and is available in a low or high fat version, Barry Callebaut said.
In addition, the company has used its patented ‘Terra Cacao’ fermentation methods to create a new Java dark chocolate and Cameroon milk chocolate. The technique is applied post-harvest and during the initial critical fermentation stage and aims to develop ferment cultures that boost flavor precursors in the beans. Barry Callebaut first launched its Terra Cacao range in 2011, when it said years of research and trial and error had paid off with a range of chocolate with “virtually zero defects or off flavors.”
The Terra Cacao Java dark chocolate has 57.5% cocoa solids, and the company describes it has being fruity with exceptionally mild bitterness, while the Cameroon milk chocolate has 38% cocoa solids with balanced cocoa and milk tastes and caramel notes.
The company added that its presence in Cameroon allows it to source cocoa beans directly from local farmers, and to process them locally, in tune with consumers’ concerns about sustainability and responsibility.
“By improving the overall quality, farmer incomes and thus the livelihoods of the local cocoa growers and their communities are supported,” Barry Callebaut said.