Chocolate isn’t a novel concept in India. In fact, most of our childhood has been spent gorging on Cadburys and Nestles to name a few. However, in recent years, this notion of gourmet chocolate has been enhanced and taken to greater levels by International food producers, including chefs, restaurateurs, food bloggers, magazines, and media across the globe.
What was previously viewed as a ‘sweet craving’ has now taken a gourmet form which is savored by millions in India alone. Furthermore, pristine chocolate brands like Lindt and Callebaut have completely changed the Indian outlook on chocolate to make it more than an ingredient which satiates your sweet tooth. The introduction of international brands has also affected the local chocolate market to a vast extent.
Today, be it cooking shows or farmers markets, a big chunk of the food industry revolves around chocolate, and people are curious to know more. Besides, we are no longer limited to the basic varieties – the sweet, milk chocolate, often sugar-laden and to say the least, unhealthy.
Brands are coming up with chocolates of all kinds – compound, couverture, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, mingled with fruits, nuts, and flavors of all sorts; so there is pretty much chocolate for everyone to pick, making us spoilt for choices.
To understand this fantasy and the insanity that chocolate is sometimes associated with, it is vital to comprehend what chocolate is all about. We in India too, are no more restricted to consuming only one particular form of chocolate - we now have exquisite brands which feature Belgian and Swiss chocolates within our metro cities.
Chocolate is obtained from cacao beans, the rawest form of chocolate. After fermenting, drying and roasting the beans, it is further processed to make chocolate, which is in its purest form.
Lately, a new kind of chocolate making called the ‘bean-to-bar’ method is making rounds in the gourmet food market. Well, in the simplest of words, in this technique, the entire process - right from sourcing the beans, to roasting and grinding is wholly performed by the chocolate maker. The process is time-consuming, difficult to master, requires an enormous amount of skill and knowledge and is done by very few cacao masters across the globe.
However, the bean-to-bar manufacture method yields some of the finest quality gourmet chocolate in the world. This kind of chocolate is expensive, not available widely across stores and is best for consumption since it retains most of the chocolates’ original nutrient components. With the rise of chocolate brands in the country, it is important to recognize the ones who sell authentic quality products and those who fail to understand the basic difference between good and poor quality chocolate.
Talking about the health benefits of chocolate, well, there are plenty! While it is best to go easy with the white and milk ones, dark chocolate is pretty healthy. The reason behind this is that dark chocolate contains the most cocoa (which gives it its rustic taste) and is very low in sugar. When consumed in the right quantities, chocolate helps improve your cardiovascular health, lowers bad cholesterol and helps keep your weight in check! Moreover, the natural antioxidants, magnesium, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients benefit your body in numerous ways.
Currently, some of the best chocolates in India are made by brands that are not very well known. One such brand, The Indian Chocolate House, a bean-to-bar manufacturer based in Delhi, is paving the way with its premium quality chocolate product, called ‘Trovica.' The brand, at present, offers Trovica Extra-Fine Belgian Milk Chocolate and is in the process of launching two more exquisite ones soon – the Trovica 55% Dark Chocolate and Trovica Extra-Fine Belgian Milk Chocolate with Roasted Almonds.
Another striking aspect of the brand is that they produce chocolate that is devoid of any vegetable fat, thus only using pure cocoa butter and cacao in abundance. Hence, the final product is healthy, has a smooth texture, tastes a class-apart and is perfect for consumption.
Advice for beginners, don't forget to experiment: take your time, browse through websites and learn what goes into the making of various chocolate.
Another important aspect is to taste. By tasting several different varieties, will you be able to distinguish amazing chocolate from the others. Savor the mouthfeel, learn to understand its undertones, the amount of cocoa butter used along with the percentage of cocoa and witness the magic for yourself.
Once you learn to identify the good stuff from the not-so-good, you will never look at chocolate the same way ever again! Like wine, chocolate too requires time to be enjoyed - slowly, enjoying each bite and feeling the bliss.