Milk Chocolate with a history

My most recent batch is dedicated to all of the milk chocolate lovers out there. It’s a 55% milk chocolate made with beans from the Anamalai Estate in India. 

These beans have tasting notes of peanut, guava and caramel. Upon reading about these notes, I couldn’t help but day dream about how to combine the smooth, sweet characteristics of guava and caramel with the creaminess of milk. Now, those daydreams have become a reality! 

About Anamalai Estate

The estate is owned and operated by Harish Manoj and Karthi Palaniswamy, who have created a thriving farm located in the foothills of India’s Western Ghats. Because this region is known for high quality coconuts, the farm produces coconuts and nutmeg along with cacao, creating multiple revenue streams for the farmers. Learn more here!

Cacao in India

You might be surprised (as I was) to learn that cacao has been produced in India for over 50 years. At the tail end of British Colonial Rule in India, circa 1948, Cadbury set up for distribution and sale of its chocolate products. While the operation started with importing pre-made chocolate from the UK, the company quickly realized India’s climate was suitable for growing cacao. Shortly thereafter, Cadbury launched a program to introduce cacao to the souther regions of India. Even today, the majority of India’s cacao is sourced by Mondelez, who owns Cadbury. (Thoughts on that will be for a later blog post.)

Echea Updates

While I had hoped to share this new origin and recipe with friends across the U.S., summer isn’t exactly the best time to be mailing chocolate all over the place, so the bars remain local for now. Thankfully, I have had the opportunity to partner with markets, Prussian Street Arcade (Manheim, PA) and Artisan Mill Co. (Lititz, PA) to bring these bars and more to my local community. As for my family, friends and all of the curious taste testers outside of the Pennsylvania area, fear not, exciting things to come your way!