Nestlé has recently launched the KitKat Chocolatory Cacao Fruit Chocolate, the first product to use a unique chocolate made entirely from the cocoa fruit in Japan. The iconic crispy KitKat wafer is coated with a 70% dark chocolate that uses the beans and pulp from the cocoa fruit as the only ingredients.
This exclusive confectionery will be available in Japan for online purchases and in the KitKat Chocolatory boutiques in Tokyo, Osaka, Kawasaki, and Hiroshima. It comes individually or in an assortment box with other KitKat Chocolatory Sublime bars.
The launch of the KitKat Chocolatory Cacao Fruit Chocolate follows the announcement in July of the breakthrough to sweeten chocolate solely with cocoa pulp. Cocoa pulp surrounds the cocoa beans and is soft, sweet and white in color. Nestlé has developed a natural approach that allows it to extract the pulp and use it in chocolate, with no compromise on taste, texture, and quality.
Further products sweetened with cocoa pulp will follow in other countries next year, through some of Nestlé’s most popular confectionery brands. Nestlé has introduced a number of confectionery innovations through KitKat in Japan, such as ruby chocolate and volcanic chocolate.
According to the press release, this “cacao fruit chocolate” turned into a product for the first time in the world by Japan KITKAT is made using a new production method developed by Nestlé. Using the dried, powdered white cacao pulp that surrounds cacao beans as a substitute for sugar allows enjoyment of the whole cacao fruit, offering an unprecedented gustatory experience.
Cacao is a type of fruit, and the pulp has a distinct sour-sweet taste that few people are familiar with. It is also a fact that around 70% of the cacao pulp is thrown away on-site, with only a small portion of it being used as a source of sugar for fermenting the cacao beans. In Brazil and other cacao-producing countries in Latin America, it is used in drinks and smoothies, which are relatively easy to make, and as a raw ingredient for ice cream. Some companies have also focused on its scarcity, and export juice made from it, but its use had not spread beyond that. This new product was developed by KITKAT Chocolatory to not only allow people to discover the new charms of cacao under Chef Takagi’s supervision but also to draw attention to the sustainability of food.
