Ruby Chocolate Is the Newest Type of Chocolate, But What Is It?

Every once in a while, something is unveiled that wakes our dormant imaginations. That most recent discovery is a new kind of chocolate: ruby chocolate! But what is ruby chocolate? What does ruby chocolate taste like? Does it taste like rubies? What is ruby chocolate made of? Is it made of rubies? And who makes ruby chocolate? Do rubies make ruby chocolate? Let’s dig in and be disappointed by the lack of rubies!

What is ruby chocolate? 

Ruby chocolate burst onto the scene in 2017 and was the first major chocolate development since white chocolate was invented in 1930! For those keeping score at home, the types of chocolate are milk, dark, white, and ruby. 

We have Barry Callebaut, a Belgian-Swiss chocolate manufacturer, to thank for the invention of ruby chocolate. It is actually made of special “ruby cacao beans.” These beans are found in the unique growing conditions of Ecuador, Brazil, and Ivory Coast. They were discovered in 2004 and over a decade of experimentation had to happen before ruby chocolate was ready for the world. The exact mechanisms of what makes ruby chocolate ruby are guarded by Callebaut, but we do know that the rich hue is achieved during the fermentation process. And in the 2009 patent filing, there are references to high levels of pigmented polyphenols. There are no added dyes or flavors. 

To produce the chocolate, producers remove the beans from cocoa pods, roast them, then ferment them. This makes what chocolatiers call “nibs.” Those nibs get ground up into a liquid known as cocoa liquor. The liquid goes through a conching process during which a surface scraping mixer and agitator refines the flavor and texture until finally ingredients like sugar, cocoa butter, and citric acid can be added.

What does ruby chocolate taste like?

Okay so they invented a new kind of chocolate and it’s real pretty. But that doesn’t amount to much if the stuff tastes bad. Fortunately, we can all relax and enjoy because ruby chocolate tastes delicious. It has a slight berry taste, with hints of strawberry and raspberry. It’s smooth, creamy, and acidic with a slight twinge of citrus. Ruby chocolate is the most acidic of all chocolates, but it still tastes smooth. It’s kind of like a berry-flavored white chocolate. 

So where can you get ruby chocolate? 

Though Callebaut first debuted the chocolate, they aren’t the only ones to sell it. A U.S. company called Chocolove has their own ruby chocolate bar. Nestle released a wildly popular ruby chocolate KitKat bar in 2018 in Japan and South Korea. There have been limited edition ruby chocolate offerings from companies like Starbucks, Insomniac Coffee Company, and Häagen Dazs, as well. As for me, I prefer to make my ruby chocolate the old-fashioned way: by drawing on white chocolate with a pink magic marker! Yum! Tastes like ink!