No matter how old we grow, for many of us, chocolate is something that has stayed close to our heart all the way since childhood. And for the sweet tooths out there, it is nothing less than an epitome of heaven.
The chocolate confectionery industry is one such sector that is not restricted by age; therefore, the growth of this industry is indefinite and promising. In fact, the industry has shown a steady growth for more than a decade now. Manufacturers in this sector continue to innovate around the flavors and texture, this is one of the reasons why innovative chocolate confectionaries are always on the top food trends charts.
The growing number of consumers who are intrigued and more than willing to give even the most outrageous innovations in food trends a try is what is fueling such experiments. So, get ready to be awed by some of these innovative food trends in the chocolate confectionery market.
DESSERT AS AN INGREDIENT
Chocolate used to be an ingredient in desserts, but now desserts have become an “ingredient” in chocolate confectionery. From crème brulée to crepes and tiramisu’ – and a whole other range of desserts – desserts are becoming flavors. Beyond baked desserts, we are also seeing things like milkshake and ice cream flavored chocolate being launched. The German company Kaoka, for example, has launched an organic dark chocolate with buttery crispy crépes.
CEREALS IN CHOCOLATE
Certain cereals have been included within chocolate for a while, but we are now seeing other types of cereals moving in – such as granola and muesli – that give the chocolate more texture. Other grains moving into chocolate include quinoa, as seen in the Agave Quinoa Sesame in Milk Chocolate bar from the US company Seattle Chocolate.
VEGETABLE IN CHOCOLATE
Although still niche, we have seen new chocolate launches in Asia (especially in China) containing vegetables. One of the vegetable-chocolate combos we have seen are chocolate covered potato chips, which could be considered more of a salty snack plus chocolate (similarly we have seen other salty snacks transitioning to chocolate e.g. chocolate covered pretzels and popcorn). The other Asian-inspired vegetable-based chocolate we have seen is edamame covered with chocolate – seemingly the next step after wasabi flavored chocolate, which was a big trend last year. In Japan, Mujirushi Ryohin has launched Mujirushi Ryohin Purple Sweet Potato Chocolate, with white chocolate and purple potato paste.
BEYOND ORANGE
Manufacturers are increasingly experimenting with types of citrus flavors other than the commonly used orange flavor in chocolate confectionery. Indeed, over the past year, the number of chocolate products flavored with lemon has doubled, globally. And beyond simply lemon, we are seeing more elaborate variations – products with lemon, yogurt, and pepper, or with lemon oil. For instance, Gepa The Fair-Trade Company in Germany has launched a white organic yogurt chocolate bar with lemon zest and pepper.
UNUSUAL FRUIT
A wide range of fruits including the likes of strawberry, raspberry, and cherry are already being added to chocolate. However, going by the latest food trends, there are now a lot more types of fruits being integrated into the production of chocolate confectionery. Peach is one of the fruits that have become more common, as seen in Poland with Luximo Premium.
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