With Christmas round the corner and New Year just a few days away a chocolate festival titled, ‘The Bitter Bliss 2014’ opened at the M and N Chocolate Museum at Indunagar, near here, on Friday.
Pointing out that it would go on till January 4, chocolatier and festival promoter Fazloor Rahman told The Hindu that the objective was to sing the praises of the Indian cocoa.
Stating that Indian cocoa mostly grown in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh has enormous potential, he said that if cultivated properly it can even compete with the cocoa of Ghana, which is among the best in the world.
About 12,000 farmers were engaged in cultivating cocoa in India. He added that the festival aims to educate growers about the latest developments on the cocoa front and also create awareness among the consumers about good and ordinary chocolates.
A 88 kg chocolate fruit and a 40 kg chocolate bar are among the exhibits.