The second edition of the Manam Theatre Festival 2024 started in Hyderabad on November 15 and continues till December 15, featuring acclaimed artists like Rodrigo Calderon, Nimmy Raphel, and Sheena Khalid, among others. The schedule showcases a diverse range of performances from India and abroad as the festival's second edition celebrates the coexistence of tradition and innovation in a vibrant theatrical melée. Chaitanya Muppala, the Founder of Manam Chocolates in Hyderabad, says, "Craft and craftspeople have been an inseparable part of our journey and story" while discussing the brand's interests in backing a theatre festival in the city. "It helps further our desire to interpret brands not merely as commerce but as social enterprises", he describes.

　　The Story Of Distinct Origins Of Cacao

　　Under the banner of Distinct Origins, a venture by a Hyderabad-based dry fruits merchant with a vision, Manam has found itself a place on TIME magazine’s greatest places to visit in 2024, causing a stir in India. In the traditionally marred agricultural practices involving cacao production, Manam Chocolates is quite serious about transparency and providing complete information to consumers about the nature and source of their "craft."

　　Earlier this year, OT’s visit to the Karkhana, the fermentary and the farmers revealed a compassionate and efficient business model where technology and cultural roots are coming together in a fine thread of progress. Soon, they might be able to delve deeper into genetic research of cacao strains to identify and address the future challenges of production already affected by climate change. The poor cacao production of Ivory Coast in 2024 and the resulting global price hike of raw chocolate stands proof.

　　A Visit To The Real ‘Karkhana’

　　It was the end of March. However, the promise of a scorching day could not deter us from visiting a cacao farm in Tadikalapudi, a small village near Vijayawada. Starting with a casual walk on the farm, Muppala spent the next few hours showing, explaining and answering our questions. Raw cacao fruits were plucked and broken open to reveal the delicious gooeyness (like custard apple). Peppercorn was identified growing carelessly on the many coconut palms, jackfruit, and mango trees growing among the cacao. I was intrigued by the heaps of cacao husks rotting on the sides. “The husks going back into the soil is the best form of organic fertilizer”, Muppala quips. “We essentially break this ecological cycle by taking the fruits out of the farm for dehusking, but we are trying to change that by bringing the husks back here.”

　　The farmers join the gang, traipsing through the plantation, explaining irrigation methods, the importance of cross planting, how pollination of the cacao bears effect on the outcome until we come to meet a group of pickers. All age groups of women and young men are at work, and one of them kindly lends me a hooked pole, and directs carefully as to how not to damage the fruit and drop it on a heap of leaves if possible. I will not boast as to my own proficiency, but a good number of fruits were collected by the group.

　　We do that, too. At Boyapati Venkateswara Rao’s farm in Taikalapudi, a simple yet distinct fare of authentic Andhra cuisine is served on plantain leaves before we head to the fermentary.

　　Inside an old tobacco factory resides the fermentery, where village women work with smiles on their faces, showing novices how to get the cacao to break open without damaging the husk or the beans. Two men load the segregated beans into big wooden boxes and up onto the fermentation area in neatly organized rows of boxes. Each box has a digital display indicating the temperature inside.

　　“We follow traditional processes with a touch of science here. Box fermentation is common in many parts of South America, but farmers here traditionally did heap fermentation to save costs on equipment”, Muppala explains. “During the weeks that fermentation takes, the beans are checked for texture and pH levels on a chart for a cut test. Depending on the fermentation stage, they are rolled down to the next box to help aerate the underside.” We watched with wonder as the workers gave us a demo by transferring the contents of the top box to the next one below it. The smell is pungent, but it has a creamy cocoa effect.

　　“Brown gold” is what the drying beans look like. Spread out on very large netted rolling platforms, each batch of fermented beans is sun-dried before they are sorted again as per quality and batched for shipping. Machines play a role, but the hands of the intent workers run so fast that we cannot even grasp its speed in real-time.

　　Back In The City

　　The brand launched its first flagship experiential space - the Karkhana at Road No 12, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad in August 2023. The immersive space, spread over 10,000 sq. ft. in the heart of Hyderabad, offers intriguing ways to engage visitors in Indian cacao’s history and origins. The Karkhana seamlessly brings together retail and the craft of chocolate-making and chocolatiers under one roof, where Chef Ruby Islam can be seen working tirelessly behind a glass counter, crafting beautiful sweet delights. The store’s interactive design invites you to discover, explore, and interact with cacao and chocolate in all its interpretations and forms.

　　The generational business of nuts and sweets at the Almond House made way for an innovative approach when Muppala chose to get into chocolate making. The team’s dedication is reflected in the 300+ chocolate products, including bonbons, barks, ice creams, nibs, cakes, chocolate-covered nuts, and so much more to devour.

　　Manam Chocolate Holiday Edition 2024 Recommendations

　　The Holiday Bonbons ( INR 1250 for a 12-piece box)

　　The Christmas Spice Chocolate Tablet (INR 525 / 80 gms tablet)

　　Cookies & Candied Orange Chocolate Tablet (INR 450 / 80 gms tablet)

　　Caramel Honeycomb & Marshmallow Mint Chocolate Barks (INR 475 / 100 pack)

　　The Holiday Edition Drinking Chocolate Mix (3 flavours) (INR 870 / 200 pack)

　　The Christmas Fruit Cake (INR 850/ 600 gms, INR 1750/ 1 kg)

　　The Holiday Delights Box ( INR 2800)

　　The Tiny Treats Box (INR 1650 / 500 gms)