As different as choc and cheese
It may be niche but a number of artisan chocolatiers are experimenting with savoury flavours, blending chocolate with cheese.
Northern Ireland-based La Coquine makes its chocolates by hand, and its range includes blue stilton and Port or goat’s cheese and lemon chocolate truffles.
Herbs and spices are also mixing up flavours in confectionery. US brand Vivra Chocolate was showcasing its craft chocolate range, such as its curry cashew chocolate and chilli crunch, at Chicago’s Sweets & Snacks Expo in May this year.
Its founder Bob Leavitt told our sister site ConfectioneryNews the company spotted a trend for hot and savoury flavours in chocolate and worked with inclusions such as pinenuts, sweet basil, thyme and Thai Bird’s Eye chili.
Others are swapping chocolate for cheese altogether. Last year, a London-based food blogger, developed a cheese advent calendar with vintage Gouda, St. Helen’s Farm goats’ cheese, Blue Stilton, German smoked cheese and French Doux De Montagne in the prototype version.
Creator Annem Hobson was in talks with manufacturers and retailers and, in November last year, already had over 2,300 people on the waiting list for the 2017 launch.