Travelling to India? Forget about stocking up on chocolates from home to munch along the way as you journey through this fabled land. India’s now creating international waves with a fabulous range of chocolates—organic, delicious and sustainably sourced. From the international award-winning brand Paul & Mike brand to the scientifically and ethically- driven, farm-to- bar offerings of Manam, there’s a whole new narrative unfolding in the chocolatiers’ handbook in India.
Chocolate— sometimes they tell us it’s good for you… sometimes it’s not! But the child in us can never truly come to terms with these health debates…CHOCOLATE is CHOCOLATE— an enduring slice of nostalgia of the good things of our lives from our early childhood days. It’s not just the taste and texture and the alluring wrapping…it’s the entire idea of a beloved treat which we can never forget…whether you're seven or seventy years of age.
It must surely be all these elements that have inspired a whole new breed of chocolatiers— Indian chocolatiers— who have come up with a fabulous array of sensory indulgences here in India itself. Forget Swiss or Belgian chocolates—Go Indian…Buy Indian. ‘Make in India’—translated in the alluring way you can imagine!
Here’s a quick look at some of the most popular names in the business…Just remember this is by no means a comprehensive list… You’ll find many more who can become your very own all-time favourites.
Local, rather glocal is the way to go. India’s artisanal diversity is unfolding a whole new palate- pleasing culinary landscape. The spanking new bean-to-bar and luxury chocolatiers have added a lovely new twist to chocolates as treats.
Leading the pack is homegrown Manam, operating out of Hyderabad and Delhi NCR. Widely acknowledged for its pioneering efforts in scientific craft chocolate. Manam’s farm-to-bar operations are grounded in the cacao-growing belt of Andhra Pradesh’s. Partnering with the likes of farmers, fermenters, chocolate makers and chocolatiers, Manam has a distinctive scientific approach embedded in its processes— including fermentation, drying and controlled roasting, which channel the beans into couvertures, bars, pralines, pastries and desserts. Its retail outlets in Hyderabad and Delhi are the Mecca for streams of chocolate aficionados.
In Mumbai there’s Subko, which has been putting the spotlight on the best use of regional cacao, translated into small-batch dark chocolates, filled bars, and baking couverture and experimental flavour releases. Subko works with single-origin beans sourced from across Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Mason & Co., operating out of Auroville near Pondicherry, unravels the bean-to-bar journey, working in tandem with farms across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for their organic, single-origin cacao. The process wraps around the entire chain from harvest and fermentation to roasting, grinding and wrapping. It covers everything from dark bars to flavoured chocolates, drinking chocolate and nut butters.
If you are in Kochi, you must stock up on a lovely range of goodies from the international award-winning brand— Paul & Mike. The brand is rooted in the farm-to-bar mode with cocoa grown and fermented across Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It keeps a firm hand on the entire assembly line from post-harvest processing to chocolate-making. If you are a fruit and nut type chocolate fan, this is your go-to brand as it offers single-origin dark and milk chocolates with Indian fruits, spices and nuts; they also offer baking chocolate, hot chocolate blends and gifting bars.
Sourcing its basic organically grown cacao from Kerala, Pascati is reputed for its certified organic, Fairtrade bean-to-bar process. The additive-free formulation centres around a portfolio of dark chocolate bars, flavoured variants, baking chocolate and drinking chocolate. A great one for those who are looking for gluten and soy free treats.
La Folie in Mumbai is the dream child of chef-chocolatier Sanjana Patel. The bean- to- bar process is propelled by ethical sourcing and small-batch production. Pick up yummies like single-origin bars, refined bonbons, spreads and seasonal dessert collections, which carry her signature stamp of pastry techniques and balanced flavours.
Artisanté’s beginnings are rooted in Raj Madnani’s pioneering Java City Café in Bengaluru. A trend setter of India’s coffee café culture in the 90s, the brand, under the steerage of Raj and Amit Madnani has expanded operations from coffee and confectionery to the chocolate landscape. Its small-batch chocolates and gourmet cocoa products, reimagined by in-house research and globally sourced ingredients, has opened a compelling new culinary story. Leveraging its café and confectionery legacy it is marking its presence with single-origin and flavoured bars, caramelised chocolates, hot chocolate blends and dessert-ready couvertures.
You don’t need to fly to Vienna or Paris to indulge your sweet tooth. Now just head to the recently unveiled Haute Patisserie by The Imperial, New Delhi. It has seamlessly brought together two timeless traditions of creations inspired by Europe’s great pastry lineages, wrapped in theatrics, ritual, and edible artistry. It’s a lovely space where Parisian opera glamour meets Viennese imperial ceremony. From the Parisian stagecraft of the Opéra cake to the ceremonial finesse of Vienna’s Hofkultur —it’s just a spoonful away in the heart of Lutyens Delhi.
Haute Patisserie’s interpretation of tradition is reflected in its Sacher, featuring a moist sponge, orange jam filling, and a glossy bitter chocolate glaze, while the Black Forest showcases dark cherry, cream Chantilly, and delicate chocolate flakes, all reimagined through The Imperial’s lens of elegance and precision.
From Mango & Coconut to a Gluten-Free Orange and Chocolate, each piece is a delight in its own right. If you are a vegetarian, fear not. Tuck into eggless options like Classic Vanilla with Madagascar vanilla, Cinnamon Caramel, Imperial Pineapple, Banoffee with banana jam and dulce de leche cremeux plus digestive crunch; for vegans there’s the enticing Vegan Chocolate cake —an inclusive indulgence without compromise.
And— a special Sunday treat— Apfelstrudel prepared just for that day by the chefs— a nod to tradition presented with Haute Patisserie’s signature style.
This summer ditch the diet— It’s the time to indulge the child in you with your favourite things— Chocolate bon bons and pastries, pralines and chocolate desserts, dark chocolate bars, and milk chocolates with Indian fruits, spices and nuts… drinking chocolate and even Vegan Chocolate cake…