Puratos' Belcolade range has introduced So'Choc Cacao-Trace.

In the development of So’Choc, Belcolade combined its fermenting expertise with that of its parent company, Puratos, to create a pairing of fermented cocoa, sourced through its sustainable Cacao-Trace program, and fermented buckwheat. With this combination of fermented ingredients, the concept and a patented manufacturing process, So’Choc aims to achieve a sensorial experience unmatched on the market.

“With So’Choc, we have used our vision and expertise to proactively adapt the fermentation process," said Youri Dumont, SBU chocolate director, Puratos. "This makes a positive impact on flavor development, enabling us to create a flavor journey that’s never been seen — or tasted — before.”

The result is a 66% non-sweet dark chocolate, offering subtle head notes of cereals to start, followed by fruity heart notes with a spark of acidity in the mid-tasting experience, landing softly with round cocoa base notes for a lingering mouthfeel. Chocolatiers can incorporate into their chocolate making a journey through head notes, heart notes and base notes.

So’Choc is versatile in application across the patisserie and chocolate sectors, adding an extra dimension to tablets, ganaches, mousses, cremeux, sauces and other chocolate products.

Inspiration for So’Choc came from an experiential journey mapped out by Belcolade’s resident curator, Meilleur Ouvrier de France and leading chocolate expert Stéphane Leroux. His unique inspiration, creativity and expertise shaped the new chocolate’s individual taste. 

The development of So’Choc is part of a wider refresh of the entire Belcolade brand. The move is designed to better reflect Belcolade’s taste-focused, sustainable and innovative vision, while ensuring customers have the creative and technical support needed to future-proof their business.

As well as adopting a distinctive new identity, including a fresh new style for packaging, visuals and communications, Belcolade is transitioning to fully sustainable and recycle-ready packaging, as well enhancing its digital offering to improve access to technical expertise and co-operative innovation.