Although milk chocolate is often seen as inferior to dark chocolate in terms of sophistication, taste and health benefits, some bean-to-bar makers are creating new interest in milk chocolate specifically with "dark milk" chocolate. While most milk chocolates feature very little cacao, dark milk chocolate contains around 60% cacao.
Fruition Chocolate's 'Marañón Canyon' dark milk chocolate bar boasts 68% cocoa, making the product comparable to a dark chocolate bar, without the bitterness that comes with dark chocolate. As Bryan Graham of Fruition Chocolate describes: "You get some of the intense flavors from the cacao but it’s a creamier texture."
Marañón Canyon is made with rare cocoa beans sourced from the Marañón Canyon of Peru, cane sugar, whole milk powder and cocoa butter. The innovative chocolate product was named a winner of the Good Food Awards 2017.
Image Credit: Fruition Chocolate
What's Driving This Trend
- Dark Milk Chocolate
- A growing popularity of dark milk chocolate is disrupting the traditional milk chocolate market by offering a more sophisticated taste and health benefits.
- High Percentage Cacao
- Bean-to-bar makers are creating new interest in milk chocolate by incorporating high percentage cacao in their products to appeal to health-conscious consumers.
- Innovative Flavors
- Chocolatiers who experiment with rare cocoa beans and unique ingredients are bringing innovative flavors to the milk chocolate market.
Who This Affects Most
- Chocolate Manufacturing
- Companies that incorporate high percentage cacao and rare cocoa beans in their products could disrupt the traditional milk chocolate industry.
- Health Food
- The growing popularity of dark milk chocolate as a healthier alternative could disrupt the health food industry by offering a more indulgent option.
- Gourmet Food
- Innovative chocolate products with unique flavors and high-quality ingredients could disrupt the gourmet food industry by appealing to consumers seeking new and exciting culinary experiences.
