If this is not something for the Indian food and beverage industry to celebrate, we don't know what is. Indian chocolate, which has rarely, and by that we mean really rarely, been considered part of the global chocolate phenomenon can now sit up and pat itself on the back and several times that too.
The Andhra Pradesh-based brand Manam Chocolate just got added to TIME magazine's annual list of World’s Greatest Places, which highlights 100 extraordinary destinations to visit and stay. When’s the last time you thought of visiting a chocolate factory? No, Charlie’s does not count.
Manam, meaning ‘We’ or ‘Us’ in Telugu, is a heartfelt nod to our Indian roots, our shared past and our collective aspirations for the future, says the brand’s story.
In the TIME article, Manam says, “We are farmers, fermenters, chocolate makers, chocolatiers and storytellers, exploring the endless possibilities of cacao in our pursuit of bringing about a new era of Indian Craft Chocolate™. With Manam Chocolate, Muppala takes the family tradition forward to contemplate the future of Indian craft chocolate. In contrast to Swiss and Belgian chocolates, which are widely seen as the gold standard, “we have an origin story here,” he (Chaitanya Muppala) says. Manam works closely with farmers and fermenters in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district to put Indian-grown cacao on the global stage. And the world is taking notice: In less than a year, Manam has already earned accolades from the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting and U.K.’s Academy of Chocolate. Inside Muppala’s chocolate factory, set on a busy road in Hyderabad’s posh Banjara Hills, walls are stocked with beautifully packaged bars in flavors like chai biscuit and pistachio fudge alongside stacks of curry leaf shortbread biscuits and almond praline clusters; croissants are baked, toasted coconut macarons are assembled, and chakkarakeli banana soft serve is swirled into cones, all in front of starry-eyed visitors. Downstairs, Manam’s airy, glass-walled atrium café serves all things sweet and savory at tables clustered around a cacao tree, which pays tribute to the real star of Manam’s story. “Each bar has the name of the farmer on it,” he says. “I know which tree this cacao comes from, I know the farmer, I've had lunch with him.”
To compile this list, TIME solicited nominations of places - including hotels, cruises, restaurants, attractions, museums, parks, and more-from its international network of correspondents and contributors, as well as via an application process, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.
"We launched Manam Chocolate a little under a year ago with the mission to offer a craft chocolate experience from India, by Indians, for the world. We are humbled to be recognized on a list of global prestige so early in our journey. Being on the TIME annual list of the World's Greatest Places 2024 - amongst some of the best and most exciting places on earth, is a huge honour for us at Manam Chocolate. It is not just an honour we take seriously but a commitment we make to continue our efforts to build the best craft chocolate experience for the world, from India,” said Chaitanya Muppala, founder – Manam Chocolate & CEO Distinct Origins.
The brand has earlier won 17 awards at the Academy of Chocolate Awards, 2023, UK, including 1 Gold, 10 Silver, and 5 Bronze, as well as being adjudged the ‘Overall Winner’ in the ‘Brand Experience’ category, from amongst 1400 entries received from craft chocolate makers around the globe. Manam Chocolate also won the prestigious International Chocolate Award instituted by International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting, the world’s largest chocolate awards.