As a much-loved New Zealand-based chocolate business, Devonport Chocolates has been serving both local and international customers for more than three decades with retail locations in Devonport, Queens Arcade, Auckland and Wellington’s Old Banks Arcade.
“Everyone loves chocolate, and we have a long tradition of working with chocolate. As a business, we are focused on staying true to the traditions of Europe’s finest chocolatiers while capturing Asia-Pacific's passion, personality, and flavours,” said Sarah Gardner, owner of Devonport Chocolates.
Always on the lookout for new and improved flavours, one such flavour that was caught under the chocolate company’s radar was yuzu.
As the business has gained more interest from Japan, Devonport Chocolates found themselves lucky to have a connection with the country widely known for yuzu.
“Our online lead is Japanese, and our head chocolatier trained at the Cordon Bleu in Tokyo, both of whom had eaten and enjoyed Yuzu before.”
Despite being a new and exciting flavour, yuzu is quite familiar to people due to its reminiscence of an orange or lemon. Hence, while planning their latest spring 2023 collection, Gardner thought the refreshing flavour would be perfect, partnering yuzu with rose for a soft spring-like combination.
“Yuzu has such a beautiful flavour profile; it has a citrus profile, so it is refreshing, perfectly enhanced and complementary to the sweetness of our milk and white chocolate, a delicious combination.”
The chocolatier has been testing variations of yuzu and chocolate for almost two years and is pleased to see the growing discussion surrounding its usage. However, sourcing remains a big issue, especially given the rising cost of ingredients, transport and logistics.
“We are delighted with our customers' response to our Rose and Yuzu chocolate and are always discussing with them what combinations they might enjoy.”
As we head into the new year, yuzu will likely become a more commonly used ingredient not just in craft beer and cosmetics but also within the food industry, particularly the chocolate industry, where the culture of exploring endless possibilities exists.
Read more about Yuzu in the latest F+B Tech issue below.
