There is a sweet spot for chocolate in almost everyone, and brands are rolling out various flavours left and right. But over time, the discerning chocolate palate of the country has changed, or rather, evolved, towards the Indian cacao. Enter artisanal home-grown chocolates that not only put the product at the forefront, they know how to make chocolate with unique flavours that are a testament to our palates. India’s bean-to-bar chocolates are a class apart from mass-produced chocolates. A commitment to fair trade practices and authenticity is instilled in their production process by relying on quality produce and process.
The following chocolate brands are homegrown, and you shall soon stock up your fridge with them:
1. Mason & Co
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Based in Auroville, Tamil Nadu, Mason & Co. produces organic, vegan, and artisanal chocolate bars using Indian cacao beans. Started by husband and wife duo, Jane Mason and Fabien Bontems, it is said to be India’s first bean-to-bar chocolate brand, they also have a range of baking chocolate, chocolate spreads, drinking chocolate, etc.
Cost: Starting ₹ 335 onwards
2. Pascati
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Pascati, founded by Devansh Ashar, has become the first Indian chocolate company to comply with the USDA Organic and Fairtrade standards, and it takes pleasure in being wholly indigenous. These single-origin chocolate bars come in diverse decadent flavours.
Cost: Starting ₹350 onwards
3. Toska
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When you pick up a bar of Toska, the first thing you notice are the lovely images on the wrapper. You can tell how seriously they take their chocolate when you open the package and taste the contents. Started by Ishan Pansuria, Toska is proudly manufactured in India using fresh fruits and nuts, is evidence of the country’s developing artisanal chocolate industry.
Cost: Starting ₹290 onwards
4. Naviluna
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One of the first Indian brands to make space in the home-grown chocolate market, this Mysore-based company by David Belo has diverse flavoured chocolates in their portfolio. They won a Silver at the International Chocolate Awards – Asia Pacific in 2018 and other awards.
Cost: Starting ₹390 onwards
5. Soklet
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You have to agree that it’s quite an adorable brand name! Calling themselves one of India’s first tree-to-bar chocolate producers, the brand is started by Harish Manoj Kumar and Karthikeyan Palaniswamy. They source their cocoa beans from their own plantations, increasing their level of control over the product’s quality.
Cost: Starting ₹200 onwards
6. Kocoatrait
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Crafted by co-founder Nitin Chordia, India’s first certified chocolate taster, Chennai’s Kocoatrait boasts of being zero-waste chocolate. If you’re looking for vegan and gluten-free chocolate that also helps the planet, look no further. What’s more, the brand insists on a zero-waste lifestyle where even the wrapper is upcycled using reclaimed cotton from garment factories and reclaimed cocoa shells making it biodegradable and recyclable.
Cost: Starting ₹200 onwards
7. All Things
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Founded by Kuhu Kochar, All Things, one of the country’s first artisanal chocolate producers has an amazing selection—think vegan, single origin, darks, and whites. They are one of the few companies that produce baking chocolate, and they occasionally release intriguing limited editions.
Cost: Starting ₹200 onwards
8. Bon-Fiction
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A tree-to-bar chocolate brand founded by couple Prathina and Akhil Grandhi, the brand is based out of Rajamahendravaram in Andhra Pradesh, and works with farmers in the Godavari region. Out in the Dark and Mango Menace, two of the brand’s flavours, won awards from the UK’s Academy of Chocolate in July 2022, setting an example of how Indian cacao beans are the finest.
Cost: Starting ₹ 225 onwards
Also Read: Mumbai & The Chocolate Factory! There’s A New Cacao Mill In Colaba & A New Chocolate Brand Too
Which one of these home-grown chocolate brands have you tried yet?
Cover image credits: Flickr