Hyderabad: As a child, one of the many things I’d be excited about were foreign chocolates. A steady stream of relatives and friends living abroad meant that imported chocolates were never short at home.
As much as I’d relish those, I always wondered why Indian brands couldn’t match the quality of chocolates from abroad. And filling the gap on that front today is the brand Bon Fiction, a new line of quality chocolates, made from homegrown cacao in none other than Andhra Pradesh’s Rajahmundry district.
From their ’Mango Menace’ (mango chilli dark chocolate) to ‘Roasted Almond Revival’, Bon Fiction has come up with an entirely unique set of products for chocolate lovers. A brainchild of Prathina and Akhil Grandhi, the company as been built by their dream of making world class chocolates on Indian soil.
How their cacao fields came up in Andhra
Both Akhil and Prathina were keen on making inroads in the agro-processing industry in India. Another aim they had in mind was also to help the farming community in and around Rajahmundry where all of their cacao comes from. With those intentions, their fascination for Indian cacao became their most vital ingredient of their chocolate journey.
The word ’Bon’ comes from the French word, which loosely translates to ’good’ or ‘well’, and irs variants are used to describe something of quality. That seems to be the impetus behind Bon Fiction – to offer an alternative in the form of good quality chocolates made from homegrown cacao.
Sourced and produced from cacao grown on the Godavari river’s banks in Andhra Pradesh, and is brand that also generates value for farmers in the region. The business model also cuts out employing middle men.
How does it taste?
Bon Fiction has literally any and every flavour one can think of. Orange, mango, strawberry, dark chocolate, hazelnut, mint, roasted almost and what not. It’s a unique set, and does not disappoint. Though one may not enjoy all their chocolate offerings, most will definitely satisfy the taste buds.
Unlike the typical sweet taste that Indian chocolates are known for, Bon Fiction’s creations truly show the expertise that the founders have. All of their products can be found here. All their products are also vegan.
Two of the of the few chocolate makers in India currently who grow and ferment their own cacao beans, it took around Bon Fiction about 300 trial chocolate batches to reach their final 14 flavor variants. All their variants contain 100% natural ingredients. Prathina also holds a level 2 certification as a chocolate taster from IICCT.
The author is a chocolate lover.
