For CasaLuker, innovation and quality are two of its most essential ingredients. This is why, in January 2016, the company will being to commercialise four new types of chocolate couverture made with Fino de Aroma cocoa together with a very special ingredient, panela, or raw sugar made from evaporated cane juice.

CasaLuker decided to include in its portfolio a product that is traditional for the Colombian market but new to the markets in Europe, the United States and other parts of the world. This type of raw sugar has now been incorporated as an essential part of their new chocolate couvertures. Panela is used to replace refined sugar in response to the preferences of modern consumers, whereby the added value of products is derived from their artisanal, natural, healthy and differentiated quality.

Panela is a derivate of sugar cane that is only grown in some parts of Latin America and India. It is rich in vitamins and contains phosphorous, calcium, iron, glucose, and fructose, which are maintained throughout the artisanal production. This artisanal production involves cutting the cane manually and transporting it to the trapiche, where the panela is made. The juices are then extracted by crushing the cane and they are then passed through a first filter before heating. The juices are heated to a specific temperature and once the residues and impurities have been removed, the evaporation and dehydration processes begins. The cane juice is concentrated and beaten until pulverized. The particles are then made the same size and the panela is left to cool before it is packed.

In Colombia, panela is an essential ingredient for traditional families. It is a source of energy for those who go out to work every day be it in the cities or on farms in the rural areas. As well as many nutrients it also provides any dish, drink or dessert with a distinctive caramel flavour and rich golden colour.

The initial destination for the new products will be Canada and the United Kingdom, followed by other European and North American countries, among others. The target consumers of the products are chocolatiers, chefs, pastry chefs, and amateurs that want to make special and original products.

New products:

Dark Chocolate Trapiche: This dark chocolate has an exquisite chocolaty aroma, delicately combined with fruity notes. Its taste is a combination of unique and unmatched cocoa notes, perfectly balanced bitterness, and the typical sweet caramel notes of panela. Delicate citric and fruity notes give this chocolate a final touch, and enhance its creaminess, its fusion of flavours and its slightly reddish tone.

Dark Chocolate Morena: A semi-dark chocolate with a mild aroma of cocoa and a subtle sweetness. Its flavour is a fusion of sensations where the cocoa and bitter notes are in perfect harmony with the sweet notes and the panela. It also has the citric, fruity and caramel notes of sugarcane, which together with its delicate creaminess produce a fusion of flavours that define it as a chocolate with a special profile.

Milk Chocolate Melao: An imposing milk chocolate flavour and the unmistakable sweet caramel notes of panela invade our palate, blending with the delicately creamy milk, mild cocoa and vanilla notes that highlight the typical flavours of a panela-sweetened chocolate.

White chocolate Dorado: The panela used in its recipe gives this white chocolate a golden hue, which makes it original and provocative. This exotic chocolate stands out for its sweet flavour and creamy milk caramel and panela notes, producing a delicate refreshing flavour. Its melt-in-the-mouth creamy texture makes it a delight to the senses.

CasaLuker Panela: CasaLuker’s powdered panela, with its caramel flavour and golden colour, is an interesting sweetener, which maintains its nutritional components and can be used to replace refined sugar.

With these new products, CasaLuker reaffirms its commitment to become an international leader in the diversification Fino de Aroma cocoa, a special product grown in South America and appreciated in gourmet markets around the world.

For more information visit www.lukeringredients.com