Embracing the Blue Food Trend: Pairing Chocolate with Blue Fruits
Blue food is growing in popularity, especially with social media users, as it’s an eye-catching and unexpected colour in the world of chocolate and sweet bakery.
If you missed part one of our blue food trend blog series, Naturally Blue & Truly Green, you can pop over and read it now. We answered your burning questions about what blue food is and how chefs and chocolatiers can use natural ingredients to achieve both blue coloured and flavoured food.
This time, we’re going to talk about…
- Which flavours work well with blue fruits?
- Which chocolate couvertures pair best with blue fruits?
- And a few recipe ideas to try!
by Lyndsey Hall
22 November 2024
What Flavours Go with Blue Fruits?
Blue fruits pair well with a wide range of flavours, thanks to their unique combination of notes; fruity, floral, acidity and vanilla.
Pairing Blue Fruits with Other Fruits
Looking to pair your blueberries, blackberries and blackcurrants with other fruity flavours? You can’t go wrong with other members of the berry family, such as strawberry, raspberry and passion fruit, or even banana (yes, it’s a berry!). They also taste great when paired with stone fruits such as cherries, peaches, apricots and mangoes.
Or for a zesty combination, try lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit. And for that classic British flavour palate, you could pair your blue fruits with apple, rhubarb, or even pumpkin!
Pairing Blue Fruits with Herbs & Spices
If you’re baking with blue fruits, there are a few herbs and spices that combine beautifully with blueberries, blackberries and blackcurrants. Warming spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cloves and, of course, vanilla will cut through the acidity and sharpness of any blue fruit and give it a sweet, comforting flavour. Whereas herbs like mint and elderflower will highlight the fruity, sweetness of your blue fruits.
Pairing Blue Fruits with Nuts, Beans & Grains
With their subtly sweet and earthy flavour, blue fruits are a perfect partner for nuts, especially almonds and hazelnuts, but also coconuts!
And if you’re wondering which alcohols are best for emphasising blue fruit flavours, you’ll find gin, whisky and bourbon are ideal.
As for beans, your blue fruits will be at their absolute best when paired with coffee, and, of course, chocolate!
Which Chocolate Couvertures Pair Well with Blue Fruits?
Blue fruits and chocolate couverture are a match made in heaven, especially dark chocolates with fruity acidic notes.
If you’re looking for a chocolate to perfectly complement your blackcurrant flavoured filling, Cacao Barry Tanzanie 75% is a great choice; a single origin dark chocolate with bitter and citrus notes from Tanzania. Or for something with more acidity, Ocoa 70% would be ideal! Part of Cacao Barry’s Pureté range, it’s made with their innovative Q-Fermentation process to reveal the purest cocoa aromas.
For a really fruity flavour, we recommend Wholefruit Evocao 72% with its notes of citrus and tropical fruits. Made using the entire cacao pod, it’s 100% sustainably sourced and has a really unique flavour that would pair perfectly with blackcurrant. Or for a slightly lower cocoa content dark chocolate, Valrhona’s single origin dark chocolate from Madagascar, Manjari 64% with its fruity, tangy notes, or Veliche Okapi 65%, a single origin dark chocolate from D.R. Congo with herbaceous notes and hints of spices and dried fruits, would be delicious!
Cacao Barry Fleur de Cao 70% would also taste great paired with blackcurrants or blueberries, thanks to its floral, fruity and slightly sour notes. Or, if you prefer a milk chocolate, Callebaut Arriba 39% is a single origin milk chocolate from Ecuador with notes of raw cocoa, milk, caramel and hazelnut that would really elevate a blueberry filling.
If you’re in need of a chocolate couverture to complement your blackberry ganache, Chocolat Amer 60% has bitter, herbaceous and fruity notes that would taste incredible with blackberries.
And if you’re looking for chocolates that will shine a spotlight on your plum flavoured fillings, we’ve got just the thing! Luker Chocolate’s Palenque 70% is nutty with a hint of fruity acidity that would really complement a plum ganache. Callebaut Sao Thomé 70% is a single origin dark chocolate with hints of dates and plums, so you can rest assured it’ll pair beautifully with anything plum-based, especially a plum caramel! And Veliche Emotion 58% is a bittersweet dark chocolate with a delicate cocoa taste that would be the perfect backdrop for your plum creations.
True Blue Recipes to Try
If you need a little inspiration for your blue coloured and flavoured product range, then you’ve come to the right place. Why not try one of the following, or give them your own unique twist with our pairing suggestions:
- Mulled Blackcurrant Okapi Chocolates
- Intense Blackcurrant Bonbons
- Fruit Caramel (use your favourite blue fruit!)
- Chocolate Tiffin (swap half the cranberries for blueberries!)
Or simply decorate your normal recipes with blue cocoa butters and decorations to hit the blue food trend with ease!
Are you ready to start adding blue coloured and flavoured food to your product range? For a complete list of all the blue products we stock here at Keylink and how you can use them, give our blog Naturally Blue & Truly Green a read.
We love seeing what you create, so don’t forget to tag us on social media @keylinkltd so we can see all your incredible blue chocolates and baked goods. Dip a toe into the waters of blue food and let your creativity go wild!
Lyndsey is a marketing executive, writer and lover of books and chocolate from Sheffield.
Her favourite chocolate is Cacao Barry Lactee Superieure.