Original chocolate making in Mumbai

The pursuit of real chocolate begins with our discoveries of organic, single-origin cacao from around the world. We follow ethical and direct trade with cocoa farmers and co-operatives in India and select countries in Africa and Central America. Our partner farms include Öko-Caribe in Dominican Republic, Costa Esmeraldas in Ecuador and Kokoa Kamili in the heart of Tanzania. Know more about Our Origins here. La Folie’s emphasis on quality extends to all the raw material. To infuse natural flavours in our inclusion bars, we source organic cane sugar, black jaggery, fresh fruits, nuts, herbs and spices from Mumbai’s local markets.

At our small batch chocolate factory in Mumbai, each batch of cacao is mindfully hand sorted and graded for quality.

This is the first step in creating flavour nuances of real chocolate. We slow roast the cacao beans at low temperatures, calculated with precision, to preserve their inherent flavours and nutritional value.

The outer husks of the roasted beans are cracked open and the shells are separated from cocoa nibs. We donate the husks to organic farmers for their use as compost.

We use customised stone melangeurs to break down and grind small batches of cocoa nibs, releasing their rich flavour and extracting the cocoa butter. The cocoa butter is added into the melangeur, along with organic cane sugar, to acquire a smooth chocolate mass.

Conching is the process of agitating and aerating liquid chocolate to remove acidity and add depth to its flavour. We refine and conche the chocolate mass for a further 48 hours to achieve a sensational mouthfeel and an exceptionally delicious taste.

Heat, cool, reheat… We temper chocolate so that every bar features a flawless sheen and that soul-satisfying, crisp ‘snap’. Then, the liquid chocolate is set in La Folie’s signature chocolate moulds.