• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Dame Cacao
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Korea
  • Podcasts
  • Start Here
  • Follow Along

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Korea
    • Podcasts
    • Start Here
  • Follow Along

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • 17 Myths About Chocolate (& The Truth Behind Them)
    • What is Ceremonial Cacao? (Recipe + Brand Reviews)
    • 23+ Unique Cardamom Desserts to Make at Home
    • 39+ Hazelnut Desserts to Make at Home
    • 41+ Delicious Lime Desserts You Can Make at Home
    • 19+ Tantalizing Willy Wonka Desserts
    • halloween themed cookies
      43+ Best Halloween Desserts
    • sukhothai lobby salon chocolate buffet truffles and hot chocolate
      19 Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipes (From Classic to Unique) 
    • 13 Best Hot Cocoa Mix Brands (Beyond Swiss Miss!)
    • sukhothai lobby salon chocolate buffet pouring hot chocolate
      Does Hot Chocolate Help You Sleep? (Why, How & How Much)
    • wooden beer barrel
      17+ Magical Harry Potter Cookie Recipes (Easy to Hard) 
    • melted chocolate in a small bowl on a white background.
      How to Melt Chocolate Chips (3 Easy Ways) 
    Home

    Chocolate On The Road: India

    Updated: Oct 7, 2023 by Max · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    153 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download

    Subscribe: Email | RSS

    "Actually fermenting and drying cacao the way it's supposed to be takes money and effort. And I think in India today, a farmer would start doing it only when he [sic] sees money on the table."

    -Karthikeyan Palaniswami, Co-Founder of Soklet Chocolate

    Indian food is famous, but Indian desserts, and certainly Indian chocolates, haven't yet found their way onto the world's radar. But they're out there. India has grown cacao for centuries, in fact, and now has around a half dozen established chocolate brands, with another several dozen in the works. Yet you probably couldn't name any— so why is that?

    One huge reason is that domestic demand for cocoa is on the rise, and the country continues to need to import cacao to meet the demand. But in this episode, we talk to four people involved in each stage of Indian chocolate making, from tree to bar. We get into the reasons for flying under the radar, their projections for the future, and which crops could spell the end of Indian cocoa.

    To read an article related to this episode click here.

    View of one of the cocoa plantations of Regal Farms.

    Topics We Cover

    • the history of cacao growing and processing in India
    • where and how much cocoa is being grown around India
    • India' cocoa deficit
    • crops competing against cocoa for cultivation in India
    • typical Indian flavor combinations and their roles in creating a uniquely Indian product for both domestic & international markets
    • the most popular chocolate brands and types consumed in India
    • future market segments primed for growth within Indian chocolate

    Show Timeline

    0:00-3:25~ Contextual introduction to India and its history with cocoa production

    3:25-10:00~ Background on the history of cacao cultivation in India, and how the crop has caught on— or not— across southern India. (Soklet Chocolate)

    10:00-16:10~ How & why GoGround operates their cacao brand's fermentary outside the commodity cocoa market in India, and what steps they've taken to get to that point.

    16:10-19:10~ A brief history of the bean to bar chocolate movement in India. (Karthikeyan Palaniswami)

    19:10-27:30~ Diving into the current chocolate consumption culture in India, and the reasons behind it, as well as some traditional Indian flavor combinations. (Arun Viswanathan)

    27:30-34:32~ Final thoughts on value-added chocolate products in India from the co-founders of Soklet Chocolate, & the end of the episode.

    More About Our Guests

    Karthikeyan Palaniswami & Harish Manoj Kumar: co-founders of both Regal Chocolates and Soklet Chocolate, as well as the cacao brand of Regal Farms. Check out Soklet's Instagram, Facebook, and Website.

    Aliyas (GoGround): Farm Manager of GoGround Beans & Spices, a cacao brand based in Kerala State, India. Check out GoGround's Instagram and Facebook.

    Arun Viswanathan: chocolate maker & founder of both ChocoGanache and Chitra'm Craft Chocolate, and owner of Infusions Chocolate Cafe in Coimbatore, India. Check out his Facebook, Instagram, and Website.

    Chitra'm Craft Chocolate

    Further Reading

    • Production statistics from the Indian Ministry of Agriculture
    • Callebaut's new chocolate factory and lab in India
    • A basic history of cacao in India
    • Coverage of the beginning of Arun's business

    Connect With Chocolate On The Road

    On Instagram: @chocolateontheroad

    On Facebook: @chocolateontheroad

    Show music is Roadtrip by Phil Reavis, and our transition music is We’re Gonna Be Around by People Like Us.

    More Interviews & Podcast Show Notes

    • Craft Chocolate Review Omnom Icelandic Nicaragua Cacao 73% Front of Bar Packaging
      Interview: Kjartan Gíslason, Co-founder of OmNom Chocolate
    • Interview: Julia Choi-Rodriguez & Roger Rodriguez, Cofounders of Vesta Chocolate
    • Craft Chocolate Review Sun Eaters 80% Front of Bar Closeup
      Interview: Gillian Goddard, Activist Chocolate Maker at Sun Eaters Organics
    • Complete Seattle Chocolate Guide indi Chocolate factory mole marshmallow
      Interview: Erin Andrews, Founder of indi Chocolate
    153 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Max! I've been in the chocolate industry for over a decade. I'm passionate about helping you find great chocolate wherever you are, and explore my home of South Korea like a local.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • sukhothai lobby salon chocolate buffet pouring hot chocolate
      Does Hot Chocolate Help You Sleep? (Why, How & How Much)
    • 31 Low-Calorie Chocolate Snacks (100 Calories or Less)
    • How to Make Box Brownies Better: 17 Chocolate Expert Tips
    • 11 Unusual Things to Add to Hot Chocolate (& How Much!)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
    ecole chocolat logo certified-chocolate-maker

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Dame Cacao

    153 shares