WE ARE MANAM
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.
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™.
CHOCOLATE AS YOU KNOW IT
Big Chocolate
The chocolate most of us have grown up on is made by big industrial brands who, sadly, sacrifice the soul of chocolate for the sake of standardisation. Chocolate comes from a sweet and pulpy fruit named cacao with rich and distinct inherent flavours. Big Chocolate carelessly farms and ferments cacao, leaving its flavours under-developed. These are then masked with additives to create a product that doesn’t taste like real chocolate should.
‘Bean-to-Bar’ Chocolate
The craft chocolate movement in India is still at a nascent stage and is primarily driven by small-batch ‘bean-to-bar’ makers. Since these chocolate makers start with the bean and not the fruit, they are unable to develop the true flavour potential of cacao. Not only that, bean-to-bar makers end up limiting the possibilities of chocolate to a bar, when in fact, chocolate is an incredibly versatile ingredient and it can be so much more.
CHOCOLATE AS IT SHOULD BE
Great chocolate comes from great cacao
Fermentation is the most crucial and yet the most overlooked process that unravels the cacao bean’s secret world of unique flavours. We work closely with our 100+ farmer-member community and our sister-concern Distinct Origins Cacao Fermentery in West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh. Together, we are revealing the unexplored flavours of the Indian Cacao through progressive farm practices and scientific fermentation and drying processes, elevating it to its rightful place on the world stage.
Expressing true flavours of cacao into chocolate
Our pursuit of a new Indian Craft Chocolate™ is incomplete without doing justice to what the Indian Cacao offers. As chocolate makers, we celebrate the distinct inherent flavours of cacao every step of the way, from roasting to refining to conching. We are thoughtfully crafting a well-balanced and nuanced ‘chocolatey’ chocolate, that lets the bold flavours of cacao shine through.
Exploring endless possibilities of chocolate
Chocolate is a truly magical and versatile ingredient, that has the potential to be much more than just a bar. At the Manam Chocolate Karkhana, our chocolatiers are interpreting chocolate in ways never done before, spanning 250+ concepts across 45 categories, and this is just the beginning. We are exploring the infinite possibilities of chocolate, in our pursuit to herald a new era for Indian Craft Chocolate™.
Indian Craft Chocolate™ Edition 2023
250+ PRODUCTS | 45 CATEGORIES
Conceptualised as ‘annual editions’, Edition 2023 is our first attempt to create a truly Indian Craft Chocolate™ experience that lies at the flavourful intersection of familiar Indian tastes and novel global preferences. Masterfully crafted, our chocolate is not only complex and nuanced, but also designed to be delightful, just as great chocolate should be.
Meet the Craftspeople of Cacao
It takes a village to raise a great Indian Cacao and to nurture it into a fine-flavoured bean. As farmers and fermenters, we bring our craft and skill together to give the Indian Cacao the respect it deserves. Each of us plays our part in our collective pursuit of a great Indian Craft Chocolate™.
MANAM CHOCOLATE
KARKHANA
Spread over 10,000 sq. ft., the Manam Chocolate Karkhana is a one-of-its-kind immersive experiential space. It brings together retail and the craft of chocolate making and chocolatiering under one roof, inviting you to explore a distinct new Indian Craft Chocolate experience™.