A new French chocolate made not from cacao but from grape seeds

hocolate manufacturers Abtey in Heimsbrunn in the Haut-Rhin area of Alsace took advantage of Easter to release its new range of confectionery made using sunflower seeds and grape seeds but with a nice chocolaty taste. At first glance, there is no difference between the eggs, hens, rabbits and other animals made from the mixture called ‘Choviva’ by the German start-up Planet Foods which invented it and the rest of the range made from real chocolate. Even from a flavour perspective, very few customers can tell the difference either. “Most of the chocolate aromas do not come from cocoa beans. 80% of the flavours develop during fermentation and roasting”, explains Planet Foods.

Choviva was originally used to make icings and toppings and Abtey worked with the start-up company for nine months to adapt the recipe to its various moulds and successfully produce real bars. “The sunflower seeds and grape seeds are fermented using a process similar to the one used to make beer. They are then roasted, crushed, combined with other ingredients – milk, sugar and vegetable fats – and mixed to produce a perfect creamy, smooth texture”, says the chocolate manufacturer which has Choviva delivered in tankers and then uses it like it would ordinary chocolate.

For the launch year, Abtey is dedicating 25% of its production to Choviva. Several supermarket chains like Lidl and Carrefour have already added the chocolate alternative to their catalogues.