Barry Callebaut’s Chocolate Academy North America team has launched Volume I of the Ruby Encyclopedia, a guide for chefs working with the fourth type of chocolate. 

Barry Callebaut launched Ruby chocolate in September 2017 after a decade of development. Its unique fresh berry taste offers innovative ideas for the next generation of confectionery, bakery, ice creams and desserts. 

The Ruby Encyclopedia is a “multi-asset tool” to help US and Canada-based chefs explore and dive deeper into the possibilities of Ruby chocolate, the Swiss chocolate manufacturer reports. 

Volume I presents eight chapters and 47 innovative recipes that showcase unlimited combinations of flavors, textures and colors, allowing chefs to explore a new palette of applications never seen before. 

Some innovative concepts include Ruby coconut choux, Ruby marshmallows with blackcurrant and pistachio cookies topped with Ruby. 

Endless possibilities
“Around two years ago, Ruby chocolate took the US by storm. Two years later, we’re showing our customers just how endless the possibilities are with this huge product,” Fanny Geindre from Chocolate Academy North America (Chicago & Montreal) tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

“Ruby is a fantastic choice all year, but with chefs and businesses preparing for spring, we feel especially proud to have launched this week.”

According to Geindre, Ruby offers “visual and flavorful opportunities in the pastry-bakery world.”

Ruby is a highly versatile chocolate and can be used in many applications. 

One of the main application areas is confectionery. “Ruby allows chocolatiers to create unique flavor profiles, colorful bars and bark, delicious truffles, bonbons and much more,” says Geindre. 

Unique flavor profiles
When consumers are demanding new things to try and experiences to share, a product like Ruby can really make a difference, she /confirm/is. 

“The uniqueness of the flavor, the inspiring story and its Cocoa Horizons certification provide a meaningful and much-needed treat.”

Geindre also says that Ruby appeals to a new audience of Centennials and Millennials because of its unique and different taste profile. “They’re eager to explore new sensations and love the high Instagram-appeal of Ruby chocolate,” she affirms. 

Additionally, the Ruby Encyclopedia focuses on taste, with various recipes to be used as your starting point. “Chefs will be able to get familiar with the product, experiment and bring to life new creations based on these foundations,” adds Geindre. 

Barry Callebaut has paired Ruby with some of the most common and known ingredients while sharing an extensive pairing chart for customers to explore new possibilities. “The goal is to start simple and inspire the reader to get creative with it.”

“The main focus was to remain true to Ruby’s unique taste and pair it with ingredients that would make Ruby come to life and shine,” continues Geindre. 

“We were able to develop some recipes designed to preserve and play around with the natural pink color of Ruby. By adjusting the pH naturally adding acidic ingredients such as yuzu, we can stay close to the pH of Ruby and retain its color.”

Concepts include Ruby coconut choux, Ruby marshmallows with blackcurrant and pistachio cookies topped with Ruby.
In 2019, Cacao Barry created the Pastry Alphabet, a fundamental guide for pastry chefs worldwide to produce applications using chef-tested recipes for ganache, glaze, mousse, and many more. 

According to Geindre, the Ruby Encyclopedia draws some inspiration from the Pastry Alphabet with the bonus of full application recipes to jump-start culinary creativity.

“Ice cream and beverages will be areas wher Ruby can really shine as well and offer new experiences to the consumer. We are still developing these recipes for Volume 2 of our Ruby Encyclopedia,” she explains. 

Geindre says the next volume will be coming “in the future to assist those industries with Ruby inspiration and knowledge.”

In July, FoodIngredientsFirst reported that Ruby was making strides in the ice cream sector, coinciding with National Ice Cream Month in the US and lockdowns and travel restrictions, which led to increased sales and consumption of ice cream. 

Meanwhile, in January 2020, ice cream mega-brand Magnum launched a line of Ruby chocolate-covered mini ice creams in the US.