Kerala-based chocolate brand Paul And Mike recently made India proud on the world stage. It made history by becoming the first Indian brand to win a Gold at the International Chocolate Awards. In the category of ‘Milk chocolate enrobed whole fruit,’ Paul and Mike’s Milk Chocolate Coated Salted Capers came first. The brand also won a bronze in the category of ‘Milk chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces’ for its Pistachios & Idukki Cardamom Chocolate. The gold-winning chocolate represents an interesting convergence of the eastern and western regions of India. As the company notes, it is made using “capers and salt coming from the barren lands of Tuticorin on the East coast and Cacao coming from the lush Western Ghats.” The brand has tied up with Ishka Farms to develop this product over three years.
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How Was The Award-Winning Chocolate Crafted?
The chocolate makers sourced freshly harvested organic capers of the smallest size (Lilliput capers). The company says that the capers “taste like olives but more lemony with notes of mustard and pepper.” These are sent to a factory to be placed in a salt solution. The salt used for the same is also special. It is sourced from the salt pans of Tuticorin. Paul and Mike’s collaborator, Ishka farms, uses a custom recipe for salted capers to nail the balance of tangy and salty notes. The salted capers are then coated with in-house milk chocolate. “As you bite into the crunchy caper and the chocolate melts on your tongue, you get a burst of flavours ranging from umami to salty to acidic to chocolatey and a long finish and aftertaste,” the company explains.
More About Paul and Mike:
Paul and Mike is known for producing high-quality, single-origin chocolate directly from bean to bar. They source their cocoa beans from their own farms in Kerala and Coimbatore, as well as from other progressive farmers in India. Their chocolate-making unit is based in Kochi. The company takes pride in prioritising cocoa beans with exceptional flavor profiles, rather than just high yield. Paul and Mike has won several accolades on the world stage for its products. For example, in last year’s edition of the International Chocolate Awards, Paul And Mike’s Gin and Ginger dark chocolate was ranked the 9th best in the world. This was a veritable milestone as no other Indian company had ever managed to make it to the top 10 before. Click here to read more.
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More About The International Chocolate Awards:
The International Chocolate Awards are an initiative by the IICCT (International Institute of Chocolate & Cacao Tasting). Paul and Mike was one of the winners of the 2024 World Final Competition, one of the major contests held annually. The judging panel included around fifty “specially selected professional judges” from around the globe as well as many IICCT alumni and other specialists and members of the Awards’ international Grand Jury panel.
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