World Chocolate Day: Mumbai's homegrown fusion chocolates that will satiate you

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Journey in a box

FOR nearly five years, chef Sanjana Patel has been working with cacao farmers in Idukki, Kerala, where cacao or theobroma trees are found growing naturally. "It's rare to find cacao in our country growing naturally. It came into India through the Silk Trade route. So, there's a lot of potential," reveals Patel, who joined forces with the cultivators to not only make space for Indian cacao on the global stage, but also give them their due. The founder of La Folie's new line, cacao origins, is a collection of single-origin chocolate thins inspired by the question - how do you introduce chocolates to a consumer? "They don't always understand and are sometimes intimidated by concepts such as single-origin, dark chocolate or percentages. So, I wanted to start a conversation." The limited-edition assortment of thins are crafted out of cacao beans like Gran Nativo Blanco from the San Juan de Bigotes in Peru, Mava Antsamala from Sambirano Valley in Madagascar, and Idukki Cacao from Kerala. "I want people to taste and learn the story behind a five-gram square piece of chocolate from a particular estate. There are also experience notes and a sound note about my journey with the thins and how you can enjoy chocolates," she adds.

Log on to lafolie.in
Cost Rs 1,150

A dash of health

From chocolate bars and hot chocolate mixes to chocolate-y snacks and cookies, macarons and baklava, luxury chocolate-maker Smoor has got you covered. A part of their repertory also features India-inspired ingredients such as cumin seeds, ginger, sunflower seeds and turmeric, packed into wellness barks. Found in amla, ashwagandha, tulsi, giloy and salted peanut variants, each bark is made of 82 per cent dark couverture chocolate.

Log on to smoor.in
Cost Rs 380

Indian inspirations

The city-based Artisanté boasts of an extensive library of artisanal chocolates and hot chocolate mixes. Founded by the father-son duo, Raj and Amit Madnani, it offers dark, milk, white, ruby and single-origin chocolate bars that blend desi and global flavours. Take for instance, Rajputana that is laced with a chai mix of cardamom, ginger, black pepper and star anise, and saffron threads, or Machu Picchu that brings together pink peppercorns with mangoes, 65 per cent dark chocolate and bursts of citrus. Diwali, meanwhile, is an edible celebration of the festival of lights. "We combine saffron threads with delicately roasted pistachios to give you the sweet taste of Diwali all year round," maintains Amit.

Log on to artisante.in
Cost Rs 375 onwards

Mithai magic

The new-age mithaiwalahs at Bombay Sweet Shop are blurring the lines between chocolate and mithai. Their new launch, indie bar, is a chocolate-meets-sweets experience packed into a bar. "We all have a favourite chocolate or candy bar. The idea of the bar came about when we thought of creating an Indian
chocolate bar that brings together the worlds of chocolate and mithai. In this indulgent bar, you will find ingredients such as coconut fluff that is inspired by the coconut barfi; patissa which is similar to a soan papdi; and caramel with a hint of pepper for that kick of spice. All of this is wrapped in rich, molten [54 per cent] dark chocolate," elaborates chief mithaiwala Girish Nayak.

Log on to bombaysweetshop.com
Cost Rs 150

Heights of chocolate

Women in Kullu-Manali are trained to craft the chocolates

When Chembur boy Rohan Keshewar started The Himalayan Chocolates (THC), he was driven by a simple but universal logic: chocolates make the world better. The social entrepreneurship graduate from TISS works with women from the villages of Kullu-Manali to create not just indulgent slabs of chocolate, but also empower rural folks with craft skills, while weaving their traditional wisdom into each confection. From Ladakhi roasted barley to Himachali walnuts, and Himalayan pink salt to Kashmiri almonds and Himalayan fruit and nuts, the flavours are infused with the best of
pahadi produce.

Log on to thehimalayanchocolates.com
Cost Rs 80 onwards