Ah, Chocolat!

Bitter, luscious, silky, sinful. There are many synonyms for the brown temptation in familiar gold foil, but get ready to expand the lexicon with Kahlua, basil, thyme, rosemary

Some like it dark, some like it sweet, while others prefer it with a hint of spice. If you8217;re thinking coffee, wine or even tea, well then, you8217;re still to come to terms with little revolutions in world of chocolate. While Hollywood starlet Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives fame is said to have agreed to strip on camera for a Godiva bar, in India, for long the humble Cadbury or Amul bar has been the synonym for chocolate, exotic or otherwise. Besides, that8217;s not much of a hassle choosing, if you don8217;t know your cocoa from drinking chocolate.

Circa 2006, single origin bars, bonbons with exotic fruits and spices, and praline of various kinds are fast replacing the traditional bars. 8220;Indians are still not exposed to the real thing. But as markets are opening up, things are only beginning to change,8221; says pastry chef Daniel Koshy of Chocolate Box, the chocolate boutique at Radisson MBD Noida. While flavours like cointreau and champagne are passe, Koshy is now experimenting with herbs like rosemary, thyme and basil, along with exotic fruit fillings and is planning to expand the concept into a chocolate studio by the year-end. This, he says, would cater to made-to-order chocolates, with the help of a digital diary, making the whole experience more customised.

In a country where 8220;chocolate culture8221; is still in the nascent stage and the consumers conservative, connoisseurs often rue the fact that most don8217;t appreciate dark or bitter chocolate without any additives or flavours, its unique flavours and complex textures. As is the case with wines, cocoa beans from different regions have a different flavour, aroma and feel, and globally chocolate tastings like wine tastings are de rigeur. Back home, though, chocolates are mostly blendednbsp; 8212; Swiss brands like Felchlin and Valrhona, Callebaut from Belgium, Selbourne from Malaysia, for instance, are doing the rounds at various hotels and chocolatiers.

Of late, however, single origin bars from a particular region, a particular bean, as opposed to blends of several bean varieties are also making their presence felt: Choko La at Delhi8217;s Vasant Vihar, stocks single origin bars from Java, Sao Thome, Papua and Tanzania, each with its distinct undertones. 8220;When we started doing single origins about a year back, it was a very new concept. Even now, only few understand it,8221; says Vasudha Munjal of Choko La. Munjal, a 25-year-old entrepreneur, started the unique chocolate lounge about an year back, and stocks bonbons with exotic fillings like ginger pear, Kahlua liqeur and champagne as well as pralines.

Essentially, chocolate is made of cocoa butter and liqeur chocolate, and higher the content of cocoa mass, better the chocolate. They say, in the beginning, Lord Almighty created chocolate, and saw it was good. He then separated the light from the dark, and it was even better. Says Koshy, 8220;Lately we have started stocking the Arabica bean from Brazil, which has 72 per cent cocoa butter while Cru Savage from Costa Rica has 68 per cent. But then, most people don8217;t know how to distinguish between them.8221;

Regular brands of cheap chocolate, he says, cut down on the cocoa butter content and dish out what is known as a compound, while real chocolate is called couverture. 8220;Many people still believe that since couverture melts faster, it must be not be good quality,8221; laments Munjal, who buoyed with the success of Choko La is planning to branch out at capital8217;s Khan Market.

Agrees Zeba Kohli, of Mumbai-based Fantasie chocolates, 8220;In India, awareness for real chocolate is very low. But then, everybody likes good chocolate and it8217;s important to educate people.8221; Kohli, who runs the 60 year-old brand, has been conducting chocolate tastings, workshops and related events for quite sometime now. Up next is her 8220;chai collection, organic chocolates and health range for this season,8221; alongwith her book on chocolates.

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While fusion cuisine is the buzzword in the culinary trends, even chocolate isn8217;t far away. At Delhi8217;s CR Park based Chocolatiers, who started with chilli chocolate, Indian treats like paan chocolates, firecracker range for the festival season, and spices like cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and multigrain bars are making good marketing sense.

8220;Certain sections of Rajasthani and Marwari communities in Delhi especially like the paan flavour,8221; says Sanjiv Obhrai of Chocolatiers. Obhrai who uses blended chocolate, insists Indian consumer is still hesitant to pay for fancier 8220;single origins8221;.nbsp;nbsp; 8220;It8217;s better to use indigenous flavours like ginger that Indians are familiar with. Indians prefer sweet rather than bitter, that8217;s why people are replacing chocolates are replacing the traditional mithai ,8221; says Obhrai, who started the brand about four-and-a-half years back. Also, exotic herbs and flavours aren8217;t easy to procure, make the product expensive, which according to Obhrai, Indians are still touchy about while single origins are subject to the season8217;s harvest.

8220;Blends work well as it gives you the same taste everytime,8221; says Chetan Gokal of the Lebanese brand Patchi that has its stall in Mumbai8217;s Cross roads, and will set up shop at an upcoming Delhi mall next year.

But then all this activity is just the the tip of the iceberg, chocolates are five years away from where wine is today,8221;nbsp;says Koshy.