Agrees Zeba Kohli, of Mumbai-based Fantasie chocolates, “In India, awareness for real chocolate is very low. But then, everybody likes good chocolate and it’s important to educate people.” Kohli, who runs the 60 year-old brand, has been conducting chocolate tastings, workshops and related events for quite sometime now. Up next is her “chai collection, organic chocolates and health range for this season,” alongwith her book on chocolates.

While fusion cuisine is the buzzword in the culinary trends, even chocolate isn’t far away. At Delhi’s CR Park based Chocolatiers, (who started with chilli chocolate), Indian treats like paan chocolates, firecracker range for the festival season, and spices like cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and multigrain bars are making good marketing sense.

“Certain sections of Rajasthani and Marwari communities in Delhi especially like the paan flavour,” says Sanjiv Obhrai of Chocolatiers. Obhrai who uses blended chocolate, insists Indian consumer is still hesitant to pay for fancier “single origins”.   “It’s better to use indigenous flavours like ginger that Indians are familiar with. Indians prefer sweet rather than bitter, that’s why people are replacing chocolates are replacing the traditional mithai ,” says Obhrai, who started the brand about four-and-a-half years back. Also, exotic herbs and flavours aren’t easy to procure, make the product expensive, (which according to Obhrai, Indians are still touchy about) while single origins are subject to the season’s harvest.

“Blends work well as it gives you the same taste everytime,” says Chetan Gokal of the Lebanese brand Patchi that has its stall in Mumbai’s Cross roads, and will set up shop at an upcoming Delhi mall next year.

... contd.