Revealing dark secrets

Rose petals, pepper and vodka. Three ingredients that had no business being in the same sentence. As far as I was concerned, the first belonged in a potpourri (or a bathtub, come to think of it), the second in rasam, and the third in a perfectly chilled Cosmopolitan. And yet here they were, staring at me from a glass case, enrobed in glossy chocolate. Standing in that quaint little chocolaterie in Holland, I felt like Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador who arrived in Mexico and stumbled upon an ancient secret that would change the world forever — chocolate.

A rare treat

It is safe to say that our chocolate tastes are looked upon with horrified disdain by the rest of the world. Part of this is sometimes attributed to our national predilection for milk chocolate, the sweeter but less sophisticated sibling of dark chocolate. But considering that the process of refining sugar existed in India several centuries before Europe discovered chocolate, this preference seems not only natural, but also well justified.

Many of us probably grew up believing that chocolate was invented by Cadbury. In fact, until a few decades ago, chocolate was special-occasion-stuff for children, and it often meant a bar of Dairy Milk. My grandfather kept a box of Dairy Milk bars locked up in his brownish yellow Godrej almirah, to be dispensed, according to his own complex but just rewards-and-recognition system. Home-made chocolates from Ooty or Kodaikanal were a rare treat, as were imported chocolates brought by indulgent uncles and aunts.

As disposable incomes increased, more people began to travel abroad, bringing back with them duty-free bags of chocolate and there was a demand for more variety at home.

Sweet sensation

Artisanal chocolate in general refers to small batches of handmade chocolate; the ‘handicraft’ equivalent of regular chocolate, so to speak. There are many chocolatiers who focus only on niche products, even if the volumes are small. Uma Raju, who founded the artisanal brand, Chocolate Philosophy, along with her friend Nivedita Prasad, acknowledges the shift in tastes. “People have become very particular about what they want; what flavour notes the chocolates should have; they want to know where our beans come from. ”

A chance trip to the North East introduced Uma and Nivedita to the ferocious bhut jolokia, the world’s hottest chilli, which then featured in their next batch of gourmet chocolate. Sea-salt caramel is an international trend that is working well, as are single-origin chocolates, made of cacao beans from specific regions like Ecuador, Ghana and Madagascar.

Uma says, “While spices like cinnamon, anise and pepper are quite popular, we also have one-of-a-kind creations like the curry leaf ganache. Festivals like Diwali offer a great opportunity to innovate; our laddoo truffles and chocolate-dipped coconut barfi have been runaway hits.”

Manooshi Chandy, pastry chef with Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts, is excited about the winds of change. “There is a definite move towards darker, less sweeter options; even sugar-free ones. We are experimenting with ingredients like cacao nibs and sunflower seeds.” Marshmallow and liqueur fillings are now passé, to be replaced with fresh fruit, wine infusions, and more avant garde combinations like wasabi-white chocolate or Japanese matcha-dark chocolate. Teas are not far behind; green tea, earl grey and jasmine all pair well with dark chocolate.

Signature style

It is not enough that chocolate tastes astounding; it is said to be an antioxidant, an aphrodisiac, an antidepressant, and can also transform lives (remember Juliette Binoche in the 2000 movie Chocolat). But very few people know that chocolate is also an indicator of personality. What I thought was my own obsessive-compulsive observations of patterns in human behaviour turns out to be based on actual ongoing research.

Evidently, people who like milk chocolate tend to be amiable, pleasant people, as opposed to dark chocolate devotees who are dramatic and possessed of strong opinions. Those who like white chocolate are introverted. Additional nuances are unveiled by a person’s preferences in shape, flavour and filling — ‘creatives’ like coconut filling and if you like nuts in your chocolate, it indicates that you are overly critical of yourself and others. If it weren’t so fascinating, it would be alarming; the gorgeous chocolate truffle you chose from that box can reveal secrets of your personality. Move over, Linda Goodman. Chocolate is the new zodiac guru.

Chocolate has come to symbolise many things; love, comfort, indulgence, decadence. But more than anything else, it symbolises yearning. To experience it, take a piece of your favourite chocolate and place it on your tongue. As it begins to soften and melt, close your eyes and let the flavours unfurl. Let yourself be carried away, to that secret place of your deepest desires. There is a word in German for it; sehnsucht, a deep yearning for something undefinable. At its heart, that’s what chocolate truly is.