Chocolate implies extravagance, comfort, enjoyment, indulgence, and love. World Chocolate Day is a day to amplify your knowledge about this aphrodisiac.
Understanding chocolates
We often tend to confuse between artisan and bean-to-bar chocolates. Though the latter is relatively novel to chocoholics, it is catching up fast with conscious and mindful consumers.
According to Upasana Parasrampuria Kagzi, co-founder Pink Harvest and Bean to Bark, “Artisanal products require involvement of highly skilled artisans who have a deep knowledge of the product. Our chocolate is batch manufactured, and then individually hand crafted into barks!”
Kocoatrait, a bean-to-bar, zero-waste and planet friendly vegan chocolate brand, by co-founder Nitin Chordia, India’s first certified chocolate taster, explains, “The difference between bean-to-bar (crafted) and artisan chocolates however is that the former is made by a chocolate maker starting from scratch — cocoa beans whereas the latter is either made from ground cocoa bean paste made by a 3rd party processor or simply by buying bulk chocolate to melt, mould and add flavours or nuts and dried fruits to make final chocolates.”
“Artisan chocolate is made by hand and in small batches, which further indicates that it is not only fresh, but also carefully crafted by artisans around. This results in a variety of interesting shapes and forms that is missing in the mass-produced chocolates,” reveals Mahek Sugandh, Founder of The Binge artisan chocolate.
Consumer awareness
The pricing now doesn’t matter because most can afford a Rs 250 chocolate bar. Ishan Pansuria, Founder, Toska Chocolates, observes, “Post this make-in-India trend, people accepted and are now demanding home-grown brands than ever.
Even if you go to a retailer, earlier they were having Toblerone or Godiva and weren’t interested in putting Indian chocolate bars but post Covid and make in India trend, they have been demanding it.”
A crafted chocolate consumer gets attracted to and relishes the story as much as the product itself. At Kocoatrait, Nitin believes that stories influence people, adding, “These consumers are conscious about ingredients as well as a carbon footprint perspective. They reward the efforts invested into making planet friendly products by repurchasing, gifting and recommending it to friends and family.”
“Personal experiences like factory visits, workshops, pop ups and events always help interact with customers to build awareness around handcrafted chocolate brand. Especially since the chocolates can then be tasted and experienced in its real sense,” mentions Upasana Parasrampuria Kagzi.
Flavoursome options
From chilli, berries, nuts, to dry fruits and paan these bonbons can marry any ingredient to seduce the tastebuds. While Mango Lassi Milk Chocolate from the stable of Chitram Craft Chocolates has fetched them many awards, premium bean-to-bar Toska chocolates’ fresh fruits, nuts, berries and flowers are a chocolate freak’s dream come true.
Kocoatrait promises to raise your dopamine levels with Masala Chai, Coconut Milk & Cinnamon, Espresso or floral notes. Sure to tempt are vegan and exotic variants like Pink Pepper, Jamun and Orange Peel, from Paul and Mike.
Know your chocolate
Artisanal chocolates: Handcrafted chocolates where the artisan manually selects the beans, roasts them precisely to highlight certain flavors and crafts them into finished chocolates.
Gourmet chocolates: Rich chocolates using best quality ingredients for a smooth and velvety taste.
Bean-to-bar: It is a proper set up of making chocolate from scratch with proper cocoa pod. Various techniques like roasting, fermenting cinching etc. are involved. And every process till making the bar is done in-house.
Recipes
Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookies
Ingredients
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup jaggery
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 ¼ cups maida / flour
100gm baking chocolate chips
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
Method:
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, jaggery, salt, and melted butter to a paste form with no lumps. Whisk in egg and vanilla, beating until light ribbons fall off the whisk. Sift in flour and baking soda, then fold the mixture with a spatula (Be careful not to overmix).
Fold in baking chocolate chips, chill the dough for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Scoop the dough with an ice-cream scoop onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 4 inches of space between cookies. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges have started to barely brown. Cool completely before serving.
(Recipe by Upasana Parasrampuria Kagzi, co-founder Bean to Bark)
Sable with Chocolate Ganache
For Sable (French cookies)
Ingredients:
88 gm butter
38 gm Powdered sugar
1 gm sea salt
100 gm flour
25 gm almond flour
Chocolate ganache
Ingredients:
100 gm heavy cream
100 gm dark chocolate
Method
Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Once fluffy, add flour, almond flour, and salt, mix well. Refrigerate dough for 10 mins. Now take it out and roll with a rolling pin. With a cookie cutter, cut round shapes and place them on a baking tray. Bake at 180 degrees for 12-15 mins.
Chocolate Ganache
Heat cream and pour it on the chocolate and let it rest for two min. Once the chocolate is melted, mix cream and chocolate. Refrigerate it for an hour and pipe it on the sable disc and serve.
(Recipe by Mahek Sugandh, Founder, The Binge artisan chocolate)
