The packing of Bon Fiction’s Matcha Prince and The Blue Pea is fresh and whimsical, but the real surprise is that the cacao comes from East Godavari, a region now known for exceptional quality produce. (In Pic: In West Godavari, cacao is farmed amidst lush tropical flora such as banana, areca nut and long pepper, which lend unique flavour nuances to Manam Chocolate)

The cacao story in India is not new. Its journey from being a mere niche intercrop to emerging as a notable player in the international chocolate industry began in the 1960s when Cadbury (now Mondelez) introduced cocoa farming as part of its supply chain strategy. The company encouraged farmers in Kerala to plant cocoa as an intercrop with coconut and areca nut, providing them with seeds, training, and a ready market for their produce. (In Pic: Harvesting)

Cut to the early 2010s: Global demand for high-quality, sustainable cacao grows, farmer-entrepreneurs take over the tractors of family-run farms and shifted focus to produce better crops and refine post-harvest processes, including fermentation and drying. Beans and pulp are fermented to reduce bitterness, enhancing flavour complexity. (In Pic: Fermentation)

On route to his plantation in Rajamahendravaram, Andhra Pradesh, Grandhi explains, “Farmers put the harvested beans in crate-size boxes, let the pulp drain and leave it to dry in the sun. Commercial players buy these because the cacao’s flavour profile doesn’t matter to them; they alkalise the beans and high roast them anyway—all they want is a base chocolate flavour; the rest would be masked by flavouring and additives. (In Pic: Roasting and Tempering)

Institutes such as Kerala Agricultural University are working on improving varieties, aiming for higher yields and quality beans that fetch better prices than commodity beans to tap into the premium markets. (In Pic: Distinct Origins decided to fully own cacao’s post-harvest processes at their state-of-the-art Cacao Fermentery in West Godavari)

Arun Vishwanathan, Founder, Chitra’m says,"Most cacao beans grown in India are put to industrial use as they have a vast market. For perspective, an order for craft chocolate would be 500 kgs of beans per year versus an industrial order for 500 tonnes yearly—so obviously, the farmer finds the latter more lucrative.” (In Pic: Brands such as Chitra’m are making cacao infused savouries)

While Indian cacao still faces challenges, such as inconsistent quality and genetics, the shift towards sustainability is promising. (In Pic: Representation pic)

 The growing emphasis and innovations in post-harvest processes offer hope that India’s cacao will eventually rival the world’s finest. It will take time before Indian cacao becomes a global player. (In Pic: Indian Cocao stats)