The aroma of cacao instantly captivates upon entering the chocolate bar-like door of Manam Chocolate Kharkhana.
Carefully designed and crafted to offer a fully immersive experience for chocolate enthusiasts, the store provides every detail of a customer’s indulgence, from the percentage of chocolate flavors listed on the wrappers to the names of the farmers who grew the cacao and their place of origin.
Chaitanya Muppala, the founder of Manam Chocolate, states that his goal is to provide his clients with a healthy experience. Manam Chocolate is less than a year old and was just highlighted as one of the most intriguing new locations to visit in the TIME yearly list of the world’s greatest destinations. But according to Chaitanya, the project was a five-year investigation before its August opening.
“I discovered that individuals only purchased chocolate from two or three companies and had very little knowledge about the process of creating chocolate. How am I different if everyone is going to purchase the same raw materials and produce the same goods?” asks Chaitanya, who studied the art of chocolate-making for three years while working on farms.
This journey led him to collaborate with 150 farmers cultivating cacao across 3,000 acres of land. The harvested cacao is then fermented, roasted, and sent to Manam Labs to create various confectioneries.
“Chocolate was originally introduced to India for industrial use, and the chocolates we grew up with have added flavors. However, at Manam, we partner with farmers using custom-built proprietary technologies to craft chocolate from native Indian genetics,” Chaitanya explains.
Cultivation and Making:
The entire cultivation process for Manam Chocolate is managed by its sister company, ‘Distinct Origins,’ located in the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. The cacao is then dried using scientific methods at a nearby factory in Tadikalapudi.
“To ensure that the cacao genetics are flavor-focused, we have developed advanced post-harvesting technology and a blockchain drying process. This allows us to ferment and dry cacao in a way that produces award-winning beans,” says Chaitanya. The dried cacao is then transported to the Manam Kharkhana.
Within the laboratory, there are viewing galleries where customers may observe the process of creating chocolate. They are able to take part in the process and even create their own chocolate recipe. Additionally, there is a cafe attached to the lab where you can enjoy freshly baked confections.
Chaitanya, who thinks that creating chocolate is an art, says, “This lab is an attempt to remind people that chocolate is something that is grown on our farms.”
Manam Chocolate hopes to market premium chocolate beans from India after receiving international approval. “We’re attempting to establish Indian cacao as a brand,” he continues.
