10 Top Yuzu Chocolate Bars
Yuzu and chocolate
The world of craft chocolate is known for its adventurous and surprising flavors, and one of the most recent arrivals on the scene is yuzu – a citrus fruit that’s long been celebrated in Japan. Known for its vibrant, tangy and aromatic profile, yuzu has become a firm favorite with chocolate makers – and eaters – around the world, and it’s easy to see why…
What Is Yuzu?
Yuzu tree and fruit photo credit Takeshi Mas
Yuzu is a small, knobby citrus fruit that grows primarily in Japan, Korea, and China. Its flavour combines the sharpness of lemon, the sweetness of mandarin, and a hint of the floral, piney depth of grapefruit. Yuzu has been a staple in Japanese cuisine for centuries, lending its distinct aroma to sauces, marinades, vinegars and desserts. Over the past decade it has developed international appeal, with many top chefs falling in love with the refreshing kick it brings to sweet or savory dishes.
Lucid chocolatemaker Johnty Tatham with yuzu
Why Yuzu Works So Well in Chocolate
Yuzu’s rich acidity and complex citrus flavour make it an ideal pairing for dark, milk or white chocolate. When combined with expertise, yuzu and chocolate create a balanced taste experience that brings out the best in both ingredients. The fruit’s zing and vibrancy cut through the richness of chocolate, while the floral undertones of yuzu can elevate subtle nuances in cacao.
10 Top Yuzu Bars to Try
Amano Artisan Chocolate Citrus Mélange À Trois
This 55% dark chocolate combines Ecuadorian cacao with yuzu, tangerine and grapefruit oils, together with juicy pieces of orange fruit leather. Chocolate maker Art Pollard says this bar “brings back childhood memories of the orange chocolate found during the holidays. This is a grown up version of the chocolate from my childhood.”
Auro Chocolate 42% Milk Chocolate with Yuzu
Auro Chocolate 42% Milk Chocolate with Yuzu
Another citrus three-way, this time combining yuzu powder, orange zest and lemon zest. Based in the Philippines, Auro Chocolate is a tree-to-bar chocolate maker that highlights the finest Filipino heritage cacao. This bar is created in collaboration with Mifukuan, a celebrated Japanese pickle producer and – more recently – yuzu grower.
Fossa Chocolate Yuzu Sea Salt
Fossa Chocolate in Singapore is known for fun reinterpretations of Asian cuisines in the form of chocolate. This bar combines candied yuzu peel and sea salt flakes with a 52% dark-milk chocolate, which is made with beans from Kokoa Kamili in Tanzania. The creamy, biscuity chocolate is a perfect backdrop for yuzu’s effortless pizazz.
Friis Holm White Yuzu 40%
Danish chocolate maker Mikkel Friis-holm is one of the most celebrated and highly-awarded makers in the industry, so it’s no surprise that his yuzu white chocolate is both singular and mesmerising. The zingy yuzu powder cuts through the creamy sweetness of the exceptional Ecuadorian cocoa butter, as well as giving the bar a subtle crunch that makes it difficult to put down.
Green Bean to Bar Yuzu
Japanese chocolate maker Green Bean to Bar sources fresh Yuzu from the town of Tsuwano, in Shimane Prefecture. As you open the beautiful washi paper wrapper and peel back the foil, you’re greeted with bright citrus aromatics and the nostalgia of creamy milk chocolate. The cacao beans are sourced from the Piura region of northern Peru.
K+M Chocolate 70% Yuzu
Chef Thomas Keller’s Yuzu bar is made with Arriba Nacional cacao from Hacienda Victoria in Ecuador – the world’s first certified carbon-neutral cacao farm. The chocolate’s subtle notes of peach and honeysuckle are a perfect backdrop for Yuzu’s citrus and floral bouquet. This bar is made in California’s Napa Valley, and would pair beautifully with a riesling from the same region.
KESSHŌ Chocolate Yuzu
KESSHŌ co-founder Liang Wang fell in love with yuzu whilst studying patisserie in Japan. One day she was making a batch of her award-winning Tanzania 56% Dark-Milk chocolate, when she noticed that the tangy and floral notes emanating from the grinder were similar to those of yuzu. She knew it would be a match made in heaven, so set about creating this bar as an ode to her memories of Japan.
Ku’ia Estate Yuzu Dark Chocolate
Ku’ia Estate Yuzu Dark Chocolate
Ku’ia Estate is based in Maui, the second largest island in Hawaii. The Yuzu Dark Chocolate Gift Tin features 18 pieces of 65% dark yuzu chocolate, made with deep and rich cacao from Costas Esmeraldas in Ecuador. 100% of the company’s profits are donated to local non- profit organisations, so this chocolate does wonders for your taste buds AND society.
Lucid Chocolatier 72% Yuzu
New Zealand’s Lucid Chocolatier collaborates with local grower NZYuzu once a year to create a dark chocolate that celebrates the yuzu harvest. The latest edition is made with high-altitude cacao from the world-famous Marañon Valley in Peru. The delicate raisin and nutty notes in this 72% dark chocolate are combined with confit yuzu and mouthwatering freeze-dried yuzu juice.
Zotter Chocolate Yuzu Citrus
Zotter Chocolate Yuzu Citrus
The ‘hand-scooped’ collection from Zotter Chocolate in Austria features fresh and filled bars that are essentially a cross between a bonbon and a bar. The Yuzu Citrus bar is filled with a white chocolate ganache that contains yuzu, tangerine and lemon, then coated in 50% house-blend milk chocolate. Warning: there’s a strong chance you’ll accidentally eat this all at once. Read more about Zotter.
Soma Chocolatemaker Yuzu Hot Chocolate
Ok, this isn’t a bar, but this list cannot exist without mentioning Soma Chocolatemaker’s ludicrously good Yuzu Hot Chocolate. Japanese yuzu meets Dream Machine – a 60% dark chocolate made with beans from four of Soma’s favourite farms: Akesson’s Farm in Madagascar, Hacienda Victoria in Ecuador, Costa Esmeraldas in Ecuador and Zorzal in Dominican Republic.