Consider it the rose gold of chocolate. Not dark, milk, or white, "ruby chocolate" is made with ruby cacao beans.

Callebaut, a world-famous purveyor of all things chocolate, has been working on bringing this new product to the public for years. And they are finally ready to debut ruby chocolate to chefs and confectioners in the U.S. in various forms.

The new ruby chocolate gets its color naturally from special ruby cocoa beans grown in Brazil, Ecuador, and the Ivory Coast. Callebaut is proudly donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their ruby chocolate to their educational efforts for cacao growers in Africa. In partnership with the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, they are directly helping their farm sources in the Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Due to regulations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they won't be able to market it as chocolate ... yet. For the time being, it will be known as ruby couverture. This innovation is being touted as the first new chocolate discovery in 80 years!

Yes, but how does it taste? Callebaut claims that ruby chocolate products have a fruity overtone and fresh taste with some sour notes, even without any additional flavorings. The natural color of the product is a beautiful, rich pink that will dress up any pastry or candy creation.

Pink Kit Kats using ruby chocolate have already come out in Japan. Trader Joe's had Ruby Cacao Wafers, little discs that they were suggesting as snacks or a fondue base around Valentine's Day. More and more mainstream candy companies will be using ruby chocolate as it becomes more popular. Keep an eye for it! 

For more information, visit the Callebaut website and read all about ruby chocolate, or RB1, as they also call it.

**All of the photos in this article are courtesy of Callebaut.

What do you think of this newest type of chocolate? Will you be trying it, or have you already had some? Let us know in the comments!