Image Source: Special Arrangement
While Hyderabadis were busy focusing on the budding coffee culture of the city, chocolate was busy undergoing a complete makeover of its own.
We are well past picking up a Dairy Milk bar or just ordering in a hot chocolate during monsoons. Today, more Hyderabadi customers than ever know where the cacao was grown, how to compare flavour notes and what a bean-to-bar creation is.
“Hyderabad has always had a deep appreciation for food, but what is exciting today is that chocolate is beginning to be appreciated with the same curiosity and seriousness as coffee or wine,” says Chef Ruby Islam, Head of Product and Innovation at Manam Chocolate. “Hyderabad is developing a genuine chocolate culture rather than simply consuming chocolate as a sweet treat.”
This growing curiosity is quietly putting Hyderabad on India’s chocolate map. To get a look into this evolution, Siasat.com spoke to the city’s top chocolate experts on World Chocolate Day, which falls on July 7 every year.
If you think that viral desserts or artisanal bars have redefined the chocolate scene of Hyderabad, think again. For Hyderabad’s chocolatiers, the biggest transformation has been the evolution of the customer.
According to Ruby, customers are far more adventurous than they were a couple of years back. “Guests are willing to try single-origin chocolates, higher cocoa percentages and desserts that celebrate the complexity of chocolate. We’re also seeing people enjoy comparing different origins, understanding flavour notes and learning how the same cocoa expresses itself differently. When people began spending time tasting chocolate and asking questions instead of simply choosing the sweetest option, it became clear that something had changed.”
A similar shift has been evident at Zuci Chocolates. In conversation with Siasat.com, CEO Aparna Gorrepati recalls spending much of her time educating customers when the brand first opened in 2020. “6 years ago, I used to be on the counter all the time, educating people on different types of chocolate and the varied tastes. Today they walk in, and they know exactly what they want. They can identify the difference in chocolates. So I think that way Hyderabad has grown.”
Both Ruby and Aparna echo the sentiment that this awareness has encouraged people to move beyond their comfort zones. While nothing can overshadow the classics, fusion is appreciated. The 30+ flavours in bonbons alone at Zuci and the 32 different kinds of chocolate drinks at the Manam Chocolate Beverage Bar are evidence enough.
According to Xocolatl’s founder, Ashmeet Singh Dua, experiences beyond Hyderabad have shaped the city’s growing appetite for chocolate. Travel has boomed, and so has our dependence on social media, and these two factors have given Hyderabadis an adventurous taste.
“People come back home craving the experiences they discovered overseas, or one might just have to have that Dubai dessert that is trending on social media. Our focus has always been to bring those global trends to Hyderabad and make them accessible,” he says.
One of the biggest examples was the viral kunafa bar, which is still the most sought-after product at Xocolatl. Yet, Ashmeet believes that trends alone are never enough and quality is key. Interestingly, Aparna echoes a similar sentiment. While Zuci experimented with its own kunafa chocolate bar, she says the brand largely focuses on doing what it does best instead of chasing every trend.
The answer depends on whom you ask.
For Ruby, Hyderabad is steadily carving out an identity rooted in Indian-grown cacao, craftsmanship and provenance rather than trying to imitate established chocolate capitals around the world. She believes the city’s proximity to cacao-growing regions like West Godavari and the emergence of Telangana as a cacao-producing state give Hyderabad a unique advantage. That proximity creates a real connection between where cocoa is grown and where people experience it as craft chocolate — something few chocolate cities in the world can claim. “Hyderabad’s chocolate identity isn’t defined by one product or one chocolatier. It’s defined by a growing community of growers, makers and consumers elevating the conversation around chocolate and celebrating it as a craft,” she adds.
Aparna, however, believes the city is still on that journey. “The day people stop buying compound chocolate is when Hyderabad will truly get a foothold,” she says, suggesting there is still room for consumers to embrace premium chocolate more widely.
Ashmeet is equally optimistic but feels the next step lies in greater innovation and variety. According to him, Hyderabad has already become one of India’s most exciting food cities. “So for 2026, I would say innovation and consistency can help take the chocolate scene to another level. If we keep going at the pace we are right now, very soon Hyderabad can also have a local chocolate brand that can sit with Cadbury on the global map. People have become open to experimenting, and this is a blessing for chocolatiers,” he concludes.
Hyderabad may still be defining its chocolate identity, but one thing is clear: the city has moved beyond treating chocolate as an occasional indulgence. Whether through bonbons, bean-to-bar creations or viral desserts, chocolate is becoming another way Hyderabad tells its food story.
This post was last modified on July 7, 2026 6:02 pm