AUI Fine Foods has launched Cocoa Lab for all those chocolatiers, chefs, and industry professionals who want to join in on couverture creation.

Through on-site workshops and carried out by culinary experts, the user will go through a practical and tailor-made experience. They will be guided through the premium ingredients used to identify distinctive flavor profiles and also in the development of their personalized chocolate creation.

In Cocoa Lab they work with cacao from Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Ghana, Madagascar, and Sao Tome. And to achieve personalized coverage, users must go through five phases:

• Exploration: talk with the AUI culinary experts to explain what the objectives are and the vision in creating custom couverture.
• Formulation: understand the flavor profiles and origins of the different cocoa beans. Taste tests and experiments with trial blends using a premium cocoa mass from Felchlin.
• Hands-on Production: work with the Cocoa Lab team to create a sample batch.
• Application: test the creation in the R & D kitchen and make adjustments if necessary.
• Approval: once the perfect flavor is achieved, the recipe is sent to production.