Mithais are out. Today chocolates reign supreme as a gifting option. No more do people think twice before splurging on chocolates,” asserts Shisham Hinduja, a young and enterprising chocolate-maker in the City.
Shisham, an avid dessert lover, began her chocolate journey a year ago. And the hobby soon turned into her profession. “It all began when my brother bought some chocolates for an important occasion and they turned out to be inferior in quality.

“This is when I decided to take a plunge into the chocolate business. I learnt the techniques of chocolate-making, tempering and packaging from a woman in Mumbai,” narrates Shisham, who is a marketing graduate.

Today Shisham works out of home in Benson Town, with her mini chocolate factory named ‘Regalar’, meaning ‘to gift’ in Spanish. Shisham personalises chocolates with unique flavours and packaging. Hazelnut cream, coffee cream, liqueur, nuts, fruity to even chilly, cinnamon, ginger, oregano and herbal — she makes chocolates in practically every flavour. And they come either soft-centred, full chocolate, black and white, on digestive biscuits and even sugar-free.

So, what is popular with Bangalore’s foodies? “Unique flavours like cinnamon and chilly aren’t too popular. However, soft centres and liqueurs are in great demand,” Shisham observes.

Shisham has introduced innovation in packaging. She makes edible chocolate boxes or can create an edible chocolate bouquet. Here, chocolates replace flowers and dry flowers play as substitutes to the greens. An edible heart-shaped chocolate box filled with chocolates is a Valentine’s Day option. Last Diwali, Shisham designed edible diyas, which she claims were a sell-out. And if a customer wants a particular shape, she can get the mould done.

She explains, “Say if someone has delivered a baby boy, I can get a mould done saying ‘It’s a boy’. Or a corporate logo for chocolate distribution during New Year. I can create chocolate lollypops in various shapes and sizes for kids’ birthday parties. Right from personalised notes, shapes, packaging, logos, flavours to even wrapper colour — I can go to any extent to customise chocolates.”

But what does it take to get your hands dirty? To which she replies, “Trust me it’s not a piece of cake. Each chocolate needs to be wrapped very delicately, when it’s at the right temperature. Ingredients have to be fresh and I have just two people helping me. One needs to book at least a week in advance because I do this with a lot of care.”

Shisham can be contacted on 99450-01555 or shishamhinduja@gmail.com.