11 ‘Made in India’ chocolate brands that will please picky palates

Chocolate is that source of comfort that no other can match. Cheery? Glum? Angry? Celebratory? We reach for chocolates no matter what the mood! This World Chocolate Day, we celebrate 11 stellar “Make In India” chocolate brands that have changed the game. With unique flavours and approach to chocolate-making, these brands are a lesson for our palates and make every day a cheat day!

11 Indian chocolate brands

Mason & Co

This vegan brand of chocolate was founded by Jane Mason and Fabien Bontems. Once a lawyer and a sound engineer, respectively, they loved the art and science of making chocolate as much as they loved eating it. So they learned more about it, and that's how Mason & Co was born. The factory is situated in a quiet part of Auroville near Puducherry. The cocoa beans for the chocolate bars are grown organically and sourced from Indian farmers. All products are free of preservatives and emulsifiers. Some of Mason & Co's popular flavours are Chilli and Cinnamon Dark Chocolate, Black Sesame and Raisin Dark Chocolate and Rosemary and Seasalt Dark Chocolate.

Amul Dark Chocolate

In 1973, Gujarat-based Amul entered the chocolate business to supply chocolate for its own ice cream variants. And today, the dairy giant has expanded its chocolate vertical with a wide variety of bars made with high cocoa content under its ‘Single-Origin Dark Chocolates' range. Amul currently sources cocoa from seven countries—Tanzania, Venezuela, Peru, Madagascar, Ivory Coast Ecuador and Columbia—and offers a range of dark chocolates from these origins.

La Folie

Since it was founded by Chef Sanjana Patel in 2014 in Mumbai, La Folie has championed the art of modern European pastry- and chocolate-making. Its bean-to-bar approach brings out the flavour of the finest cacao beans sourced from Bolivia, Venezuela and Ecuador. Think Sea Salt Caramel, Smoked Pink Himalayan Salt and The Berry Good Bar (salivating yet?). There's also The Classroom by La Folie, which gives amateur chefs an experience of immersive cooking.

Vivanda

Entrepreneur Arun Narang started the company with Ashish Bawa, who became the brand's business head in 2013. Narang says all their chocolates and confectionaries are made from scratch in small batches with minimal sugar and no artificial preservatives or colouring. Specialising in gifting, Vivanda does not retail its products but serves clients directly from its gifting boutique in Mumbai's Santacruz neighbourhood.

Soklet

Soklet is India's first and only tree-to-bar chocolate manufacturer. All the cocoa beans used in their products come from Regal plantations, their own property on the foothills of the Anaimalai Hills. From breeding cacao trees to tempering the chocolate bar, they handle the entire chocolate-making process. Some of Soklet's unique varieties of chocolates are their Spiced, Hibiscus and Desi Rabdi bars. It's based in Pollachi in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district.

Pascati

Launched in 2015, Pascati is India's first fair-trade compliant chocolate brand that's also certified organic by the United States Department of Agriculture. It sources cocoa beans from Kerala's Idukki and Malabar regions. These are roasted, cracked, winnowed and tempered in a carefully-controlled environment for a wide range of bars, truffles and bonbons. Rose Almond dark, mint dark and Saffron Pistachio Dark are some of the delicious flavours this Mumbai-made brand offers.

Fantasie Fine Chocolate

It's an over 70-year-old brand that enjoys a reputation for being the most exquisite artisanal chocolate brand in India. Be it creamy milk, dark chocolate, white chocolate, exotic nuts, centered pralines or truffles, Mumbai-born Fantasie Fine Chocolate has a myriad of treats on offer for different palates.

All Things

Everything All Things offers is a perfect marriage between Belgian chocolate and local, fresh and seasonal ingredients. Started in 2015 as an online store, with its production in Jaipur, the brand stands out for its beautiful packaging and unique flavour pairings like the Belgian dark chocolate-sangria combo. Some of their bestselling chocolate bars are All Things Jaipur, All Things Water and All Things Breakfast.

Naviluna

Established as Earth Loaf in Mysuru in 2012, it claims to be among the first chocolate makers in the world to use certified organic Indian cacao beans exclusively. Also one of the first bean-to-bar chocolate houses in India, Naviluna makes everything in small batches. This allows them to focus on flavours and bring out the best of the bean in each batch.

Cocoatrait

Chennai-based Cocoatrait sources chocolate from every corner of the country and the globe and delivers across India with a focus on zero-waste everything. Ever on the lookout for trying something new, Cocoatrait's most unique feature is its “fine chocolate starter kit” subscription. With this, the brand aims to help chocolate lovers understand the treat and graduate to appreciating dark chocolates slowly but surely.

Paul and Mike

Kochi's Paul and Mike is pairing Indian fruits like jamun, sitaphal and alphonso mangoes in their bars. The label is committed to becoming carbon positive by 2023. Apart from just making chocolate, they also aim at improving the quality of the Indian cacao bean with their modern techniques of fermentation and processing.