Dark, and size zero

Representative Image

When we hold the thin and square chocolate mini from Sanjana Patel's latest limited collection, which took two years to develop, it reminded us of artist Sudhir Patwardhan's rendition of Mumbai's mills. The shape lifts off a 2D render of a geometric design tessellation into 3D. The ridges allow us to chip away a small bite with the teeth, before we slide it end-to-end onto the tongue.

Those who are aware of Patel's cacao journey, know that she is a maverick; a complete cacao head who will travel across the long and short of the globe - even if it is meant on crutches - to chase the scent of a good cacao farm experience. For this edition of Cacao Origins Chocolate Thins (R1,150), she has used a stash sourced from the award-winning cacao bean lot from Idukki (Kerala), Madagascar, and Peru.

The box flaunts a deep-red front and its triple compartments hold 65 per cent San Juan de Bigote (Peru), 70 per cent Sambirano Valley, Madagascar and 72 per cent Idukki Hills, Kerala. For the Peruvian thins, the beans are the last of the sun-dried batch of award-winning Gran Nativo and Gran Chillique varieties. It has a floral, soft aroma that translates onto the palate as a citrusy flavour that lingers at the back for a while.

The 70 per cent bite from Madagascar has beans from the Antsamala plantation led by Madame Hanta Rajaonera, who runs a women-only cooperative farm. The flavourful chocolate is slightly spicy with hints of floral, as opposed to the general fruitiness of Madagascar cacao.

Sanjana Patel

The 72 per cent thin brings you back home to the Idukki region in Kerala. GoGround India allowed farmers to submit their produce for evaluation and gave chocolatiers access to fine, fermented chocolate. She aged the top-notch 2017-19 harvest for a few years, which elevates the chocolate to a perfect balance between the previous two - an acidic, tangy flavour and a lingering aftertaste of black pepper.

For those who think that all dark chocolate is the same, take a slow break and sit with the pack. From left to right, tear open a Peru and let the easy experience of old-school chocolate unfurl on your palate. Enjoy the rustic and mild coarseness and the deep notes of simple chocolate. Next, take a stronger route to Madagascar, whose notes are nuttier, and more rounded. And lastly, stop at Kerala and enjoy a smooth finish of velvety texture and sharp notes of berries and spice.

And if you still think dark chocolate has no differentiation, close your eyes, pick any one and indulge.