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Fine Belgian Chocolate Bean Origin - West Africa 

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ABOUT ME

Chocolatier Entrepreneur Health Professional

 I started the company in 2011 when I moved to India from New York and realized that were no high-end chocolate brands from here. 

I learned about chocolates when I was looking for classes over the weekend while working on a full-time career in health care consulting. Read more about me. Unfortunately, the classes disturbed me when I saw the trainer pour a cup of vegetable oil, sugar, and artificial essence in a mass of warm chocolate. The “Chocolate” I found later was a compound of chocolate made with cacao flavor, milk powder, and sugar, with no real chocolate in it. 

Pragati Sawhney



Chocolate Industry Before 2013

There was nothing pure or natural in the chocolate and tasted poor quality. The market was flooded with this kind of chocolate and none had cacao butter or pure cacao in the ingredients. Besides this, they were no real flavors. Experiences and innovations were never heard of in chocolate.

As I researched, found this homemade “chocolate” spread all over India and the same was even in big known Indian brands and bakeries of five-star hotels. I learned that pure cacao was not available in India or was too expensive to use commercially. They are called "covertures" and contain cacao liquor, cacao butter, sugar, and soy lecithin.  Besides no public awareness, there was no nutritional labeling or regulations to control the growing trend damaging to public health.

My findings

I continued to research for months and found the following:
1) Huge taxes on quality pure coverture from Belgium
2) No incentives for farmers in Indian to make chocolate 
3) No skill or training.
4) cacao is too acidic
5) No small-scale industry or machinery.

I went on a hunt to look for pure cacao and finally found it at an Australian vendor in the Fine Food trade visiting India. However, their quantity was 10 kg, and didn’t even know how to use it correctly. Chocolate tempering is the basics. You see compound chocolate only needs to be melted and poured in old however chocolate needs to be tempered. Besides online there were very few schools in India teaching skills in chocolate in 2011.

My mission

I worked full-time and after six months was able to overcome barriers to launch Chockriit Chocolates. I trained myself on chocolate, get the information, and find vendors to finally create the first test products. I named the company Chockriti. Kriti means "fine work of art"" and "choc" is short for chocolate. The lotus signifies purity-I wanted to make chocolate with real teas, flowers, spices and herbs instead of essences and pre-made fillings

My mission was to bring the art, purity, and spirit of India to the world in high-quality cacao. The cacao used here organic single origin from India and Belgian cacao. The company supports cacao farmers and provides skills to local women sustainably. Our selected Indian farm utilizes only harvested water, cow dung, and natural solar light for its operations. We use the waste of chocolate for our soaps and candles. 

The products are made from 100 percent real cacao from Europe, India and fresh brews of organic raw teas, flowers, spices, and herbs with both US FDA and FSSAI-compliant safe nutritional labeling. There is no added sugar*, vegetable oil, butter, or artificial ingredients including commercial flavors or colors.


 

TRAINING

Ecole Chocolat

Luis Armando Chocolate Academy

Natural Gourmet Institute New York

Culinary Institute of America

Barry Callebaut Academy

EDUCATION

Mailman School of Public Health Columbia University New York

Bachelors of Dental Surgery Pune University India

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RECOGNITION

"Most Innoative Startups" 2016- Lufthansa Runway to Success

"Woman Entrepreneur of The Year 2015" TiECon

Finalist Power2SME 2014

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