"As India rethinks the idea that international products are inherently superior to regional produce, the spotlight is shifting towards some of the best Indian chocolate brands. Even though many Indians grew up on milk chocolate, with brands like Dairy Milk shaping early taste memory, dark chocolate has recently seen a clear rise in demand. Newer consumers are no longer choosing milk chocolate out of familiarity or nostalgia, but seeking flavour, origin, and quality. Dark chocolate in India was once defined by international brands. Today, a 99 per cent Lindt bar is no longer the reference point. Indian craft chocolate brands have played a significant role in building this awareness, reframing how consumers understand cacao, sourcing, and flavour. “Dark chocolate has been taking centre stage slowly for the last 10-12 years. It has not only been accumulative of how people are conscious about how they eat but also a strong awareness of what chocolate really means, due to the rise of those making artisanal chocolate India today,” says Ruby Islam, head chef, Manam Chocolate. Part of dark chocolate"s growing popularity lies in its composition. Milk and white chocolate contain higher proportions of sugar and milk solids, whereas dark chocolate has a significantly higher cacao content. “Dark chocolate is made of cacao butter, cacao mass, and sugar. The darker the chocolate, the higher the proportion of cacao butter and mass. Chocolate/cacao is a superfood. It"s also very high on antioxidants, besides magnesium and zinc, and flavour nods,” explains Islam. She also points out that many industrial chocolates rely on sugar derivatives such as pralines, caramels, or corn syrup, which carry a high glycaemic index. Dark chocolate is often priced higher because cacao butter is the most expensive ingredient in any chocolate. “Dark chocolate isn"t bitter just simply because it"s dark. It"s also more of an effort to craft a recipe which needs you to have a great balance between astringency, acidity, and bitterness. A lot of thought goes into the degree of roast of beans, the formulation and fermentation of the cacao bean, and how the flavour stands out. That premiumness comes with communicating it with the world,” says Islam. Much like wine or coffee, the roasting profile of cacao beans determines flavour depth. Roast too high, and top notes disappear. Roast too low, and the chocolate may lack balance. “Some chocolate makers also have one standard roasting profile—one for dark and one for white. Or, they might have one standard roast for all chocolates which is flavour-forward,” adds Islam. Indian craft chocolate brands making bean-to-bar dark chocolate Manam Chocolate At Manam Chocolate, each bar features a QR code that links to details about the cacao farm, harvest date, and the name of the farmer, reinforcing transparency within Indian chocolate brands. Image: Manam Chocolate Since its launch in August 2023, Manam Chocolate has only expanded its bean-to-bar dark chocolate range. Its offerings include Indian-origin dark tablets, flavoured seasonal bars, and bonbons. Each bar features a QR code that links to details about the cacao farm, harvest date, and the name of the farmer, reinforcing transparency within Indian chocolate brands. Price: ₹400 onwards Website: Manamchocolate.com Naviluna Mysore-based artisanal chocolate brand Naviluna is known for small-batch production and experimental flavour pairings comprising Kerala cacao, besides collaborations with Indian coffee brands. Image: Instagram.com/Navilunamysore Founded in 2012, this Mysore-based artisanal chocolate brand is known for small-batch production and experimental flavour pairings comprising Kerala cacao. Collaborations with Indian coffee brands further blur the line between craft beverages and dark chocolate. Price: ₹440 onwards Website: Naviluna.in Pascati Pascati blends familiar Indian flavours with dark chocolate formats, making it one of the more accessible Indian chocolate brands in the craft segment. Image: pascatichocolat.webp Launched in 2015 with founder Devansh Ashar experimenting with bean-to-bar chocolate, this craft chocolate brand"s USP is how it packages old-school flavours into new-age dark chocolate. Pascati is recognised for blending familiar Indian flavours with dark chocolate formats, making it one of the more accessible Indian chocolate brands in the craft segment. Like its 63 per cent dark mango dark chocolate bars which use freeze-dried mango, besides other flavours like paan and guava chilli-sea salt. Price: ₹120 onwards Website: Pascati.com Ziaho Chocolate Ziaho reflects the regional diversity shaping artisanal chocolate India, particularly through jaggery-sweetened and fruit-forward dark chocolate bars. Image: ziaho.chocolate With cacao from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh, this Mahabaleshwar-based craft chocolate brand might be relatively new to the game but has made up for it with its range of dark chocolate in Indian flavours including healthier options that use jaggery (70 per cent Dark Jaggery Plain). Ziaho reflects the regional diversity shaping artisanal chocolate India, particularly through jaggery-sweetened and fruit-forward dark chocolate bars. Price: ₹335 onwards Website: Ziaho.in Paul & Mike Paul & Mike is known for high cacao percentages (70, 80 and even 99 per cent dark), and bold flavour experimentations with Himalayan Pink Salt, Balkan Rose, Jamun, and Sichuan Pepper. Image: PaulandMike.co Known for high cacao percentages (70, 80 and even 99 per cent dark), and bold flavour experimentations with Himalayan Pink Salt, Balkan Rose, Jamun, and Sichuan Pepper, Paul & Make has played a role in bringing ultra-dark chocolate bars into the mainstream. With chocolate made using cacao sourced from farms in Kerala, Paul & Mike, launched in 2019, also has vegan options and date-sweetened chocolates. Price: ₹275 onwards Website: Paulandmike.co Mason & Co Mason & Co focuses on organic, vegan, dark chocolate bars (mostly in 49 and 70 per cent), extending its cacao philosophy into pantry staples and granola too. Image: Instagram.com/masonand co_chocolate Founded in Auroville by Jane Mason and Fabien Bontems, Mason & Co focuses on organic, vegan, dark chocolate bars (mostly in 49 and 70 per cent), extending its cacao philosophy into pantry staples and granola too, broadening how Indian chocolate brands can be a part of daily consumption. Price: ₹345 onwards Website: Masonchocolate.com Subko Cacao Subko Coffee Roasters launched its artisanal chocolate line, with a range of dark, milk and white variants, with clear emphasis on its dark selections drawn from distinct estates. Image: Instagram.com/Sukocacao Subko Coffee Roasters launched its artisanal chocolate line, Subko Cacao, in 2023. The range spans craft bean-to-bar chocolate, across dark, milk and white variants, with clear emphasis on its dark selections drawn from distinct estates. These include Terroir 72 per cent from Varanashi Farms in Mangalore, Terroir 85 per cent from Mankuva in Konnathady, Kerala, and Terroir 73 per cent from the Subko VLGE Co-op in West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh. Its Dark 65 per cent Milk and White Series, particularly The Salty One, remains among its most popular releases. Price: ₹275 onwards Website: Subko.coffee How to tell if the dark chocolate is good “The flavour of dark chocolate is a mix of three aspects—aroma, mouthfeel/texture, and taste. Scientifically, chocolate has the highest number of chemical compositions that are mixed in one bag and presented to you if you go by mixing,” explains Islam. One key indicator of quality is how the chocolate melts. Because cacao butter melts slightly below average body temperature, good chocolate should feel smooth and velvety rather than waxy or pasty. “Chocolate should be made with cacao butter, not hydrogenated fats. So, in the first 10 seconds when you put chocolate in your mouth, you should be able to tell what you can feel, the flavour notes it reminds you of—–say, coffee or blackberries or dark cherries. Most importantly, while eating chocolate: let it melt, don"t munch,” she advises."
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