Being a self confessed chocoholic means that chocolate sets off the happy endorphins making the experience quite addictive. The next best thing to a bar of well tempered chocolate is a luscious chocolate spread that carries an underlying hint of nuttiness.
Being a self confessed chocoholic means that chocolate sets off the happy endorphins making the experience quite addictive. The next best thing to a bar of well tempered chocolate is a luscious chocolate spread that carries an underlying hint of nuttiness.
Alarm bells resonated in foodie circles when popular brand, Nutella, known for it’s jar of glossy chocolaty yum used hydrogenated palm oil in the manufacturing process. Consumers then began to look up healthier options from reliable sources.
Tarts, crepes,chocolate filled cupcakes and cookies using this chocolate spread went from being just merely calorie laden to grossly unhealthy. Making a chocolate spread at home seemed a much needed alternative especially on those days when the children craved it most.
At the gourmet bazaar held recently here in Coimbatore it was obvious that others too shared a similar thought process.It was great to see not one but two brands making chocolate spreads that were free from preservatives,refined ingredients and comprised of consciously sourced ingredients.
The brand Nuteva is the brain child of Sangeetha Ashwin whose husband makes and supplies the equipment necessary for manufacturing products from cacao beans , nuts etc. With the necessary hardware available in-house Sangeetha says it was a natural progression which led to her making a line of nut butters and chocolate spreads using a combination of nuts and cocoa nibs. The name Nuteva was derived from the words ‘nutritional evolution’ which forms the thought process for wanting to manufacture food products that adhere to high standards of nutrition with no compromise on quality.
Her chocolate spreads called ‘Choconut dreams’ are of 2 kinds, one made with peanuts and the other with almonds. The individual taste of the nut is easily discernible and one gets a huge whiff of peanuts when opening the lid.The peanut chocolate spread is a bit grainy but Sangeetha says that was her intentional based on customer feedback when most people admitted to not liking too rich a spread which would stick to the upper palette of the mouth. The almond chocolate spread is smoother.Both spreads sold out at the Gourmet bazaar and they were left with pending orders which got delivered a few days later.
Our very own bean to bar chocolatiers from Pollachi, Harish Manoj Kumar and Karthikeyan Palaniswamy (Regal chocolates) launched not only their new range of flavour infused ‘Soklet’ bars but also their own line of chocolate spreads featuring 2 varieties one using hazelnuts and the other with peanuts. After participating and attending several chocolate shows world wide, the duo are working towards the goal of adding a diverse range of chocolate products made from their own cacao beans. That and the fact that commercially produced spreads were high in white sugar and palm oil, in their own words, ”pushed us to create a healthier alternative”.
It took them close to a year to test and arrive at the recipe that is now bottled for consumption. I’m always partial to hazelnut because of the unique manner in which it uplifts the taste of chocolate so I just had to buy a bottle of that straight away. The taste is well rounded in terms of sweetness and the deep flavour of the chocolate mixed with nuts. The hazelnut spread however is a little more solidified when compared to the peanut spread. Though the response to both spreads have been overwhelming,Karthikeyan says they are working on getting a creamier consistency and will do so by the time the product hits the shelves this October. The fact that it was an instant hit with the kids is what makes all of the R&D truly worthwhile for them.
In addition to making their individual spreads, both Nuteva and Soklet are supportive of each other’s businesses. Nuteva sources their cacao nibs from the Regal farm and Soklet uses the machines made by Ashwin to manufacture their chocolate. They also plan to have their products available on Amazon shortly.
To have local entrepreneurs support one another not only helps the economy thrive but also ensures long term sustainability. It promotes healthy competition and allows for an easy camaraderie which is essential to foster a harmonious growth of both brands.
With children being partial to chocolates spreads in sandwiches and even adding huge dollops to their versions of chocolate milkshakes, these wholesome chocolate spreads have now given us options which can be enjoyed without having to worry about consuming trans fats. With 'real food' manufacturers getting directly in touch with the final customer, it's only a matter of time before junk that is termed edible ceases to exist. I don't know about you but seeing the array of locally sourced, nutty chocolate spreads on my table makes me proud of my city and it's talented folk. May their tribe increase!
For enquires and bulk orders
Contact Nuteva :9943399080
Soklet : 7708097230
Alarm bells resonated in foodie circles when popular brand, Nutella, known for it’s jar of glossy chocolaty yum used hydrogenated palm oil in the manufacturing process. Consumers then began to look up healthier options from reliable sources.
Tarts, crepes,chocolate filled cupcakes and cookies using this chocolate spread went from being just merely calorie laden to grossly unhealthy. Making a chocolate spread at home seemed a much needed alternative especially on those days when the children craved it most.
At the gourmet bazaar held recently here in Coimbatore it was obvious that others too shared a similar thought process.It was great to see not one but two brands making chocolate spreads that were free from preservatives,refined ingredients and comprised of consciously sourced ingredients.
The brand Nuteva is the brain child of Sangeetha Ashwin whose husband makes and supplies the equipment necessary for manufacturing products from cacao beans , nuts etc. With the necessary hardware available in-house Sangeetha says it was a natural progression which led to her making a line of nut butters and chocolate spreads using a combination of nuts and cocoa nibs. The name Nuteva was derived from the words ‘nutritional evolution’ which forms the thought process for wanting to manufacture food products that adhere to high standards of nutrition with no compromise on quality.
Her chocolate spreads called ‘Choconut dreams’ are of 2 kinds, one made with peanuts and the other with almonds. The individual taste of the nut is easily discernible and one gets a huge whiff of peanuts when opening the lid.The peanut chocolate spread is a bit grainy but Sangeetha says that was her intentional based on customer feedback when most people admitted to not liking too rich a spread which would stick to the upper palette of the mouth. The almond chocolate spread is smoother.Both spreads sold out at the Gourmet bazaar and they were left with pending orders which got delivered a few days later.
Our very own bean to bar chocolatiers from Pollachi, Harish Manoj Kumar and Karthikeyan Palaniswamy (Regal chocolates) launched not only their new range of flavour infused ‘Soklet’ bars but also their own line of chocolate spreads featuring 2 varieties one using hazelnuts and the other with peanuts. After participating and attending several chocolate shows world wide, the duo are working towards the goal of adding a diverse range of chocolate products made from their own cacao beans. That and the fact that commercially produced spreads were high in white sugar and palm oil, in their own words, ”pushed us to create a healthier alternative”.
It took them close to a year to test and arrive at the recipe that is now bottled for consumption. I’m always partial to hazelnut because of the unique manner in which it uplifts the taste of chocolate so I just had to buy a bottle of that straight away. The taste is well rounded in terms of sweetness and the deep flavour of the chocolate mixed with nuts. The hazelnut spread however is a little more solidified when compared to the peanut spread. Though the response to both spreads have been overwhelming,Karthikeyan says they are working on getting a creamier consistency and will do so by the time the product hits the shelves this October. The fact that it was an instant hit with the kids is what makes all of the R&D truly worthwhile for them.
In addition to making their individual spreads, both Nuteva and Soklet are supportive of each other’s businesses. Nuteva sources their cacao nibs from the Regal farm and Soklet uses the machines made by Ashwin to manufacture their chocolate. They also plan to have their products available on Amazon shortly.
To have local entrepreneurs support one another not only helps the economy thrive but also ensures long term sustainability. It promotes healthy competition and allows for an easy camaraderie which is essential to foster a harmonious growth of both brands.
With children being partial to chocolates spreads in sandwiches and even adding huge dollops to their versions of chocolate milkshakes, these wholesome chocolate spreads have now given us options which can be enjoyed without having to worry about consuming trans fats. With 'real food' manufacturers getting directly in touch with the final customer, it's only a matter of time before junk that is termed edible ceases to exist. I don't know about you but seeing the array of locally sourced, nutty chocolate spreads on my table makes me proud of my city and it's talented folk. May their tribe increase!
For enquires and bulk orders
Contact Nuteva :9943399080
Soklet : 7708097230