Magnum ice cream has gone pink with its newly-launched Magnum Ruby, a rosy-hued confection made with the recently discovered Ruby Chocolate — a naturally pink chocolate that tastes faintly of berries. Developed by fancy Belgian chocolatier Barry Callebaut after more than a decade of testing, Ruby is marketed as the “fourth type of chocolate” after dark, milk, and white chocolate.

Hailed by breathless press releases as “the most extraordinary chocolate discovery in the last 80 years” (Nestle launched white chocolate in the 1930s), the chocolate’s pink shade isn’t from a special new variety of cocoa bean. Rather, cocoa beans from countries like Brazil, Ecuador, and the Ivory Coast are selected for naturally occurring “typical precursors” that make them suitable for being processed into Ruby cocoa. According to a patent filed by Callebaut over a decade ago (Patent US9107430B2: Process for producing red or purple cocoa-derived material) we're guessing that some of these typical precursors could include beans that are likely to have a higher level of polyphenols, the good-for-you antioxidant found in chocolate and red wine.

Previously seen in the supermarket confectionery aisle where it was draped over Kit Kat fingers, Ruby chocolate has now hopped over to the frozen section as the star of Magnum’s newest release. Here, the chocolate encases a “rich, velvety white chocolate ice cream, swirled in luxurious raspberry sauce”. Fun fact: The US site lists the ice cream as “sweet cream” instead of “white chocolate”, most likely because of strict FDA regulations regarding the definition of chocolate.

The Magnum Ruby bars come in two variants: the single-serve ‘impulse’ bar, and the minis, that come in a box of six. Unwrapped, you’d be forgiven for mistaking the ice cream, with its purply-pink shell, for a berry yoghurt bar. The chocolate couverture cracks satisfyingly when bitten into, and the first impression is smooth, creamy, bright and zesty. Ruby chocolate has been described as “neither bitter, milky or sweet” — because the chocolate has a slight tang, and fruity undertones. In fact it tastes like white chocolate mixed with raspberries even though Ruby chocolate has no berries, flavouring or colouring added.

Ribbons of raspberry sauce, tart and sweet, are drizzled around a heart of white chocolate ice cream. Honestly, we couldn’t really taste the white chocolate, which is probably a good thing as it means that the Ruby chocolate remains the dominant chocolate flavour.

Don’t bother. The mini versions don’t come with the raspberry swirl and so you’ll be missing out on the full flavour combo.

It’s pink, it’s pretty, and it tastes like berries. If you like white chocolate, berries, and some sour with your sweet, try this.

Available at supermarkets, convenience stores, petrol stations, and mini-marts islandwide, and online at Redmart and Foodpanda. ​​​​​​​