World Chocolate Day | Lucknow is on a ‘chocolaty’ high
On World Chocolate Day we find out how chocolatiers, homebakers, bakeries and cloud-kitchens are doing their bit and making Lucknow chocolaty-sweeter.
There is nothing like a love for chocolate! On World Chocolate Day today (July 7) we find out how chocolatiers, homebakers, bakeries and cloud-kitchen runners are doing their bit and making Lucknow chocolaty-sweeter with each passing day.
Sweet ride
A famous one in Lucknow market is chocolate momos. “Those who enjoy dessert at our store, chocolate momos served with ice cream is a must have. Many come just for this and it’s a takeaway favourite,” says Ranjeet Singh Rawat of Nainital Momos.
Danbro by Mr Brown has launched two new variants. “Pure Belgium Chocolate brings lingering taste and lasting memories. We have introduced Silk Pastry and Hazelnut Pastry for chocolate lovers,” tells its founder Tanushree Gupta.
Chef Himani of Sassy Canteen says, “Our Fig and chocolate brownie pudding made with sea salted caramel, tea, figs and dark chocolate and served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is a favourite dessert for all.”
At your doorstep
Amrita Shukla, Choc-oh! Bakery and Patisserie owner, says, “Lucknow is readily accepting the constantly evolving world of chocolates to how it was when I started my bakery set up in 2018. Many do not prefer deviating from traditional flavours of chocolate cakes and pastries, but it has surely witnessed a right jump in product in supply and demand of handcrafted chocolates. Chocolate-coated light wafer cookies have been my signature item and to celebrate the occasion with every delivery I am giving away a sample of my signature chocolate cookies.”
Connoisseurs’ delight
For those with developed taste buds for authentic chocolate there are now options available in the state capital as well. Home-baker Niharika Bajaj, who prepares desserts using hi-end ingredients, says, “Bakers are nowadays not using chocolate butter as there is a shortage and is manifold costly, but we use only that as people who know the taste buy products made from original and authentic ingredients. Then using stuff like jaggery and honey over is very healthy and tastes wow.”
Choco is the way
Chocolatier-duo, brothers Priyansh and Abhinav Bajpai who have been making, marketing and teaching online how to make the best of chocolate at home, feels that taste of baked sweets in Lucknow has come a long way.
“We introduced our start-up Chocoa that was inspired by small chocolate-businesses in Belgium where I visited as a former Navy officer. Till date, I have taught what I learnt about handcrafted artisan chocolates to over a thousand students. Now, people love and indulge in the flavours of handmade chocolates much more. Soon, we plan to resume our pandemic-hit artisan chocolates supply business in the city where we marketed our special chocolate-stuff to bakeries and local kitchens.”
Jyotsna Habibullah founder of Lucknow Farmers Market says people are now getting educated about homegrown stuff sourced directly from farmers and growers. “We promote cocoa, which is procured from farmers in Kerela, and customers are buying them to support them,” she says.