Passengers will be given a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges, it said
It is often said that when the times get tough, people become innovative and entrepreneurial. Case in point is the period of the Covid-19 pandemic that unleashed a flurry of entrepreneurial activity by individuals all over the world. A bevy of businesses fuelled by imagination, creativity and passion mushroomed during this time with many of them growing from strength to strength. Anuttama, an artisanal, farm to bean chocolate brand started by husband wife duo Balasubrahmanya P S and Swathi Kallegundi is one such example.
Based in Bettampady, about 65 km from the coastal city of Mangalore in Karnataka, India, Anuttama, which translates into “the best of the best” in Kannada, had its beginnings in May 2020. “My family has always been into agriculture and we have been growing cacao as an intermediary crop since decades. Cacao needs shade and is often grown along with the main crops of the region, which are areca, coconut, pepper, banana etc. It is a common practice in coastal Karnataka,” says Balasubrahmanya. The cacao grown by his family, just like many others in the region, was always sold to the local cooperative which is an organisation that has built a successful community of growers and farmers. “Though we have an agricultural background, my wife and me were quite busy with our IT jobs in Bangalore. We moved back to our native town during the pandemic. During the lockdown we were forced to retain the harvested cacao and dry it ourselves. While the intention was to sell it to the cooperative at a later point, it suddenly occurred to us that we could try our hands at chocolate making. So, we just made a small batch for ourselves, which was quickly consumed at home,” adds the 37-year-old IT professional.
Extensive study, research and a course in chocolate-making soon followed after which the couple started experimenting with very small batches of chocolates that were initially consumed by the extended family. As the word spread through social media, people started asking for samples and the same was distributed to acquaintances and friends. Buoyed by the positive response received from them, Balasubrahmanya and his wife decided to turn this venture of crafting artisanal chocolates into a business and Anuttama was formally launched in August 2020.
From using cacao grown in the vicinity to harvesting and manufacture, everything about Anuttama screams sustainability. It is one of the few organisations that use the farm-to-bar approach in that they cultivate the cacao themselves and control every aspect of the manufacturing process; right from picking the pods to packaging the bar. The fact that they are committed to use locally grown cacao thereby supporting and engaging the native farmer community is a lesson in sustainable utilisation of resources and a significant reduction of carbon footprint. Fermentation of the beans is also done in wooden boxes made from local wood, which are covered with banana leaves. Even the unmissable bilingual logo, which has ‘Anuttama’ written in English as well as Kannada is a testament to their ‘vocal for local’ philosophy. It sure adds the exclusive vernacular touch to the end product! “We always had the vision to do something for the local community in the field of agriculture and hence we ensure that we make the best use of our local resources,” adds Balasubrahmanya.
Once the cocoa is harvested from their own and a few neighbouring farms, it is processed entirely inhouse by a team of about five people. This includes fermentation, drying, roasting, cracking, winnowing, grinding and conching. This is followed by hand tempering, moulding and finally packaging. Made with only natural ingredients, Anuttama chocolates are free from preservatives, additives, artificial colours and flavours, vegetable oils and emulsifiers. Most of their range is vegan and gluten free making it inclusive and suitable for a wide range of dietary preferences. It is key to note that these single origin goodies are non-alkalised in that the natural acidity of the cocoa is retained giving it a distinct aroma and a delicious flavour profile. This differentiates it from commercial chocolates, which are alkalised to reduce the bitterness.
Yet another key differentiator of Anuttama is the fact that they do not use refined white sugar to sweeten their chocolates. Traditional ingredients like jaggery, dates, unrefined cane sugar and coconut sugar are used as sweeteners, which are far healthier alternatives to processed sugar. Most of their range is dark chocolate with a minimum of 48 per cent cocoa. They do offer a small range of milk chocolate, which is made with A2 milk powder. “Even in terms of flavours, we make sure to incorporate the Dakshin Kannada touch. For e.g. our Bella Tharai (Jaggery and Coconut) chocolate is an ode to the culture of Tulunadu. It has coconut milk, which makes it dairy free and is a perfect choice for vegans,” mentions Balasubrahmanya. Other regional flavours include hot mint (made with green chillies), Kheer and the award-winning Spicy Tang. The latter is based on the idea of Kashaya (a traditional health drink which boosts immunity and is a combination of ginger, pepper and natural herbs).
According to Balasubrahmanya, there are more exciting flavours in the offing with trials and testing in progress. Apart from making chocolates, they also supply cocoa to bakers and other confectioners. Their future plans include making other products like drinking chocolate, cocoa nut butter and the like.
So, next time you bite into a bar of Anuttama, remember that you are relishing the authentic flavours and the delectable taste of coastal Karnataka!
wknd@khaleejtimes.com
Passengers will be given a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges, it said
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