Culinary Application of Artisan Chocolate Enriched with Spirulina and Sensorial Evaluation

Creativity in culinary practices goes beyond the methods used to include the use of new alternative food sources to improve the sustainability of the global food system. In this study, spirulina was used to develop artisanal chocolate products to be served in restaurants. Four different recipes were developed using dark, milk, and white chocolate drops in two different shapes: chocolate bars and hemispheres. The recipes were developed in two different ways: directly into the chocolate and as a filler. To achieve an optimal flavor profile, lemon and raspberry were chosen as pairings to mitigate any off-flavors associated with blue-green algae. The developed chocolate products were evaluated by a tasting panel of 15 semi-trained panelists. The chocolate samples were analyzed on a hedonic scale based on sensory attributes such as appearance, taste, smell, color, and texture, and the collected data was evaluated using rank analysis. The overall acceptance results showed that the dark chocolate filled with lemon ganache was perceived as acceptable compared to the other chocolates developed. The study also aimed to explore the potential of alternative food sources as a way to enhance culinary creativity in the restaurant environment.