“Take a bite of this,” says head chocolatier Mahesh Pal Singh, pointing to a bowl of chocolate balls. I pop one in my mouth and am amazed. The chocolate has notes of cashew and gunpowder. It's a flavour bomb!
I try the next one – a freeze-dried strawberry chocolate. Despite eating an entire strawberry, the chocolate shines through. While eating a mango salt chocolate, my palette is lit and I am not complaining! I am at India’s largest chocolate experience centre by Smoor, and this was just the beginning of my journey from the bean to the bar.
Being Arty
The artisanal chocolate trend has gained momentum in India, and Smoor has been an early mover in this space. They have over 500 kinds of chocolates, including curated chocolates, bars, snacking chocolates, boxes, celebration cakes, signature cakes, cookies, macaroons, baklava, gift hampers, and more. The brand primarily sources from countries like Ecuador, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Venezuela and Brazil. The new range of India-inspired chocolates uses beans from Elluru in the Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.
Designed tastefully with an outer grey façade, the Smoor Factory Experience centre has white-hued graffiti that reads ‘United by Flavours’. This illustration continues across the glass exterior with the words, “Great chocolate is built on connection between soil, farmer, maker, and customer. It is this chain that brings everything together.”
Inside, there is an installation of a giant, half-bitten, chocolate bar. A small seating space and a display of chocolates from the brand are behind this. The colourful wall art here, again emphasising the theme of ‘United by Flavours’, is unmissable. The ground level has the production facility, and the upper level has the café and store where you can also buy their products.
Before entering the factory, I am given a disposable coat, head cover and mask. I start in an unlikely place: the storeroom. Vimal Sharma, founder, director, and CEO of Smoor (Bliss Chocolates India Pvt Ltd), explains, “This is where the raw materials are kept. You can see that all the ingredients are all stored at varying humidity and temperature levels. We ensure that this is in place so that the quality of our chocolates is intact from the start.”
He then leads me through the space that has different sections. Interestingly, the mixing team and finishing teams are different. This allows quality control to spot issues at any stage of production, while also keeping the recipes a secret, according to Sharma. The team uses cacao beans that have been fermented as per the brand’s protocol. These beans are then dried till the moisture is reduced to below seven per cent for the quality of the chocolates. The beans are then medium roasted, and cracked to get the smaller nibs and skin of the cacao pods. The winnowing machine separates the skin to give pure cacao nibs, before it is melted into what is called the cocoa mass.
In another section, the cocoa mass is added to the melangers (large grinders, similar to idli stone grinders). “This is when the chocolate percentage is decided. So, if you want an 80 per cent dark chocolate with jaggery and nuts, we can do that,” explains Sharma. I notice one melanger grinding pistachios (sourced from Türkiye). I taste a spoonful and it is rich!
The next melanger has unsweetened almonds sourced from California—which have an earthy, woody flavour profile—making them excellent when combined with chocolates. This section also had a batch where caramel was being coated with chocolate and topped with nuts. Tasting the freshly-made chocolate was melt-in-mouth delicious!
“This is conching, where the cocoa and ingredients are refined for hours in heavy stone rollers, developing the smooth texture and deep flavour that make Smoor chocolates unforgettable,” says Sharma.
Looking Ahead
As I wind up the tour, Sharma explains how the focus of the brand is to increase sourcing cacao from India, and the plan is to have at least 40 per cent of the products made from local sources over the next five to 10 years. “The Indian cacao scene is growing, especially with growers in south India. The rise of artisanal chocolates has ensured that the quality of beans has tremendously improved over time,” says Sharma.
Next, Smoor will be launching the Truly Good Range, with 15 SKUs to be launched in the next four months. The next five-seven years will see at least 50 per cent of the products move to this range. As American cartoonist Charles M. Schulz once famously said, “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.” And if you are a chocolate lover, check out this space that allows you to immerse yourself in the ‘food of the Gods’.
The chocolate tour needs to be booked in advance, and for the first couple of months, it will be open on Wednesday and on the weekends.
