Cocoa beans are the fermented and dried seeds of the Theobroma Cacao tree. These seeds are processed to create cocoa solids and cocoa butter. These are the raw materials for making chocolate. Historically these trees have originated in upper Amazon in countries like Brazil and Peru. But they can grow in any place on the equator belt. This means that India can be the ideal place to grow cocoa beans. In this article let us explore the India story and what we have about this ‘Food of the Gods’.
Where can Theobroma Cacao tree grow?
Cacao tree need adequate rainfall, all year long. It needs a tree cover to allow 40 to 50% sunlight to pass through. Average temperature should range around 25 degrees C and upto 300 m height above sea level. It also requires a certain type of soil. Most important, all the rainfall has to drain away. Such a place is literally available all across the southern states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Due to the highly technical nature of cocoa beans harvesting it has taken a lot of convincing to local farmers to take to cacao farming. But due to the entry of big brands, this plan is working. Andhra Pradesh has come out to be the largest producer in India. Rough estimates put chocolate produced in India at 30,000 tonnes. The largest producer of cocoa is Ivory Coast with 16,00,000 tonnes. But countries like Ghana have their economy focussed on chocolate production.
The economic facts and figures
India imports around 50% of the chocolate which it consumes. Though the cultivation of cacao has been growing steadily, so is the consumption. As India continued developing, the storage and processing of chocolate facilities also got better. It is estimated that next ten years, the usage and consumption is going to increase mutlifold. We are still a long way to go as compared to the most chocolate crazy nation, United Kingdom.
For a long time, Cadbury and Nestle dominated the chocolate scene in India. Amul has done well in recent years, especially in the premium segment. One particular product named India Twilight Tryst is made exclusively from cocoa grown in the Karavali region of Karnataka. Cacao farming was introduced way back in 1960 in Kerala by Cadbury in an effort to reduce dependency on imports. Cocoa is mostly grown in coconut plantations.
Interestingly most of the chocolate produced in India is picked up by a local brand Campco. It began in 1973 as a co-operative movement in Manglore. In 1986 they opened their first chocolate making facility which was inaugurated by the then President of India. They have been ramping up production and expanding ever since breaking their own records. Along with the regular products like Eclairs and chocolate bars, they are mostly into industrial chocolate products like cocoa mass and couvertures.
Indian Government has a dedicated department of Directorate of Cashew nut and Cocoa Development. Efforts towards cocoa cultivation has let to India also being an exporter to other countries yielding precious foreign exchange in the process.
Chocolate factories in India – the big brand and the chocolatiers
Big chocolate brand in India used to import their machinery from Europe. But today we have such machines made in India in places like Coimbatore which has emerged as chocolate machinery hub.
Though in nascent stage, India has their own share of home grown chocolatiers. Strictly by definition a chocolatier is a person who makes chocolate confectionery from chocolate or chocolate liquor. They are mostly involved in Tempering and Moulding process of chocolate making. It provides with serious chocolate makers the ability to create fine chocolate products which are pure on taste as well as light on the wallet.
Presenting Jolly Premium Chocolate by Ms Jolly Sharma.
