Craft bars and drinks from cacao leftovers lead way for chocolate lovers

Craft chocolates: The beauty of craft chocolate is that each craft chocolate maker offers something unique to the chocolate they produce (Images: Colocal)

From rich desserts to indulgent drinks, chocolate has an unmatched ability to elevate any moment. These top chocolate treats are designed to be enjoyed year-round, offering comfort, joy, and a touch of luxury no matter the season. Whether you’re cozying up by the fire or lounging by the pool, chocolate delicacies remain a classic indulgence.

To each their own:

From creating personalised chocolate bars to whipping up artisanal desserts, foodies are spoilt for choices at modern cafes and patisseries that specialise in various chocolate dishes. However, like most food and drink different flavours of chocolate is also subjective. People who prefer more acidity or bitterness in their chocolate should definitely go for a higher percentage of cacao content, the darker ones naturally, says Anshi, co-founder of Colocal. She says, “If you like your chocolates to be more on the sweet side, then go for a lesser quantity of cacao. In general, chocolates are of 3 types — dark, milk and white. Those that use over 50 percent of pure cacao fall in the category of dark chocolate. For example, we make chocolate bars featuring 55percent , 66 percent, 72 percent and 85 percent cacao. Naturally, those who like their chocolate sweet or have a sweet tooth prefer 55 percent the most.”

Global inflation:

Globally, chocolate remains a top favourite gifting food item. However, the industry is currently navigating a period of substantial transformation due to the escalating prices of cacao, mentions the chocolate expert. Anshi highlights, “The surge in cacao prices is an industry-wide concern currently caused by a global supply shortage and several interrelated factors, including chronic underinvestment in cacao farming and climate change. This economic pressure is forcing small-batch chocolate brands like us to reconsider our production and pricing strategies. It is a real challenge as we navigate how to continue offering the best of chocolate experiences. Chances are, with its increasing value, chocolate will now truly become an indulgence. At the same time though, the entire situation is rightly highlighting the disparity that exists between the source of cacao, which is the farms and the farmers, and the commercial chocolate industry because the farmers are still struggling to get a fair price for their crop.”

Pairing chocolates:

Usually any kind of chocolate or chocolate dessert pairs well with rums or whiskeys, even beer but not so much with wine, remarks Anshi. She adds, “We recently did a version of the Matilda chocolate cake that has gone viral worldwide and people who have a very sweet tooth, they love that. At the same time people who do not like their desserts to be too creamy love the twice-baked cake because it’s classic and its decadent but without the creaminess as it is chocolate in purely cake form. We also created a mocktail called Cacao Litchi, made from a layer of cacao husk concoction that has been brewed overnight, and we mix it with litchi juice at the bottom. We recommend people first sip it without stirring and then of course after stirring to get a taste of the distinct ingredients but also the combination. People are finding it very unique and discovering the beauty of cacao in another form - the husk - that is usually discarded by chocolate producers. But now with the current economy of chocolate, you will see more such drinks and sustainable ways of using cacao come up.”

Rise of hand-crafted chocolates:

The Indian palette has evolved and come a long way from where it used to be when it comes to chocolates, and people are still discovering the world of craft chocolate. People are still learning the nuances of craft chocolate and getting used to the dark chocolate category. There is no such thing as the right chocolate; the beauty of craft chocolate is that each craft chocolate maker offers something unique to the chocolate they produce. Anshi remarks, “Even if we and another craft chocolate brand in India are producing the same percentage of cacao in a chocolate bar more often or not the chances are that the chocolate will still taste different, because every step in the chocolate making process adds to the flavor of the end result. It could be the roasting that is done differently. It could be the conching that is done differently, or in some cases, people do not go for the conching step at all. We conch our chocolates after they have been grinded to suit the palate of Indian consumers.”