Be Charmed by Caraïbe 66%
This month’s visit to the Valrhona Cocoa Library brings us to one of the most well-loved and versatile dark couvertures in the entire collection: Caraïbe 66%. Join us as we delve into the story behind this Grand Cru blend couverture and find out why it’s a favourite of the chefs at L’École Valrhona…
You can find our previous forays into Valrhona chocolate on the Keylink blog.
A Dreamy Dark Chocolate with Depth
Named for the Caribbean islands whose cocoa beans inspired its creation, Caraïbe 66% is a balanced, mellow dark couverture with a roasted cocoa taste and notes of dried fruits, sweet spices, oak and bitterness. Created in 1988, it’s been a popular choice for chefs and chocolatiers ever since, thanks to its perfect blend of flavours.
Part of the Grand Cru blends range from Valrhona, Caraïbe 66% is always consistent in taste and texture, with a fabulous workability thanks to its fluidity. It’s perfect for coating biscuits and creating rich, dark chocolate ice cream and gelato, but it’s also great for almost any application you can think of!
The woody, fruity and sweetly spiced flavour of this couverture means it pairs perfectly with nuts, coffee, caramel and fresh, zesty flavours like lemon and mint.
Technical Specifications
Product: Caraïbe 66% Grand Cru blend dark chocolate
Characteristics: a mellow, all-round dark chocolate
Tasting notes: perfectly balanced, sweetly spiced with dried fruit notes and a slightly oaky, bitter finish
Recommended applications: perfect for coatings and ice cream, but also great for moulding, bars, mousse, creams and ganache
Flavour Pairings: almond, pecan, lemon zest, mint, vanilla, caramel, coffee, cinnamon
Recipes with Valrhona Caraïbe 66%
There’s a reason Caraïbe 66% is L’École Valrhona’s benchmark product. This is a dark couverture that gives an authentic chocolate flavour to any recipe, making it a really popular choice with many chefs and pâtissiers. With its smooth, perfectly balanced profile, it’s even loved by children!
Looking for recipe inspiration? Here are a few ideas to spark your imagination:
Check back next month, when we’ll be taking a look at a unique single origin milk chocolate from the Grands Crus range! And in the meantime, you can browse the entire Valrhona X Keylink range and choose from a selection of 1kg and 3kg bags of white, milk and dark chocolates, fruit couvertures, and a cocoa powder!