By Esha Chaudhuri
Chocolate in its most popular three forms – white, milk and dark is a versatile delicacy that can be a tempting and indulgent treat. Over the years, the popularity of chocolate has experienced an overhaul in terms of craftsmanship, product quality and ingredients that has transformed the sweet savouring consumption patterns.
How did this happen? How did we transition from traditional mithai eaters to chocoholics? While mithais will also remain the cornerstone of our inheritance and culture, but the popularity of chocolate in varied forms be it a beverage in the form of hot chocolate, an artisanal chocolate bite, brownie, cookie, cake, ice cream, all are appealing and scrumptious. On asking a customer of a popular sweetmeat shop his thoughts on mithai or chocolate, Vishal Sharma says, “I love both. Can’t choose. Both serve different purposes but if given an option for a fusion of chocolate rasgulla or even chocolate barfi, I’ll take it.”
Research reveals that eating chocolate can elevate one’s emotional state instantly, as cocoa beans contain endorphins that naturally give us an emotional boost. One study found that simply looking at chocolate can trigger a happier mood. Another study found that the aroma of chocolate can increase attention and focus. And, as chocolate melts in your mouth, the sweet and fatty nature (from cocoa butter) can stimulate pleasurable sensations, making you feel happy and blissful. (Purely Planted)
Felt sincerely, chocolate is a deep dive into emotions. So much so, it is often used as an expression of love, merriment, celebrations and all things joyful. Consumed in many forms – cakes, cookies, ice creams, desserts, it is, without a doubt, a popular ingredient with high demands and stakes. Speaking with a resident of Laitumkhrah, Nancy Lyngdoh, who is a 
regular consumer of chocolate items says, “For me, chocolate is not just a feel good factor but also a staple in our home and we eat some form of chocolate everyday. Chocolate also has health benefits.”
Although cocoa prices soaring 140 per cent made news early this year, this market fluctuation is expected to simmer. This growth over generations has also catapulted the chocolate world into a whole industry. The worldwide appeal for the cocoa is valued at USD 3.8 Billion in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 9.2 Billion by 2032. (Custom Market Insights).
Although it was introduced to the Indian subcontinent by the British in the eighteenth century, it was only in the 1960s when the giant Cadbury broke ground in Kerala’s Wayanad that cultivation began in full swing. As we’ve traditionally adored and indulged in products by multinationals such as Cadbury and later ferrero et al, local chocolatiers have also introduced organic, cleaner and sugar free and less versions of it. The startup generation in the country has also been witnessing a repositioning towards the rapidly growing industry and making it an urban trend too, calling it the ‘bean-to-bar’ phenomenon.
What attracts gold and money, also attracts the negative. Atrocities in an extremely profitable business are then only another reason for hostility and exploitation. Since their inception, cocoa beans have long thrived in Western Africa and have been cradles of slave labour, in the form of children. Therefore, the chocolate industry globally is often deemed as a problematic one with low wage rates and harsh working conditions. A survey report from the University of Chicago estimated that 1.6 million children worked in cocoa plantations of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire alone.
Also, it is cultivated in India’s Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu mainly as an intercrop with Arecanut and Coconut. The entire process, from procuring raw cocoa beans, cleaning, roasting, and winnowing is executed by the local chocolatiers in the country. This is possible because while we’ve traditionally been a chai and mithai eating country, the shift towards chocolate for that sugar craving has been noteworthy.
Come what may, the reach and growth of chocolate is deep. We know it, because innovation is only a step away. With the Internet within everyone’s accessibility and making videos for the thirst of content creation, on social media platforms for views, like and engagement is what has paved the way for bizarre food items. Some noteworthy items that recently broke the internet are chocolate Maggi, chocolate momo, chocolate pizza, chocolate dosa, chocolate gol gappas, chocolate paratha, chocolate gulab jamun, and chocolate paan are few to mention. Which ones are on your bucket list?