Manipur’s Ukhrul town is turning a new leaf, with help from
two chocolatiers who offer four varieties.I learnt how to make chocolate from a chef friend,” Angkang,
25, told The Hindu. But a chocolate made in Ukhrul had to be exotic, so I
thought of adding pumpkin seeds and local nuts.”
In November last year, she and Leiyolan Vashum, 35, launched
Hill Wild. It took them less than a fortnight to create a buzz. Their handmade
chocolates in four varieties – pumpkin seeds, hodgsonia, fruit wine and chilli
– were a hit with the delegates at the North East Development Summit in Imphal.
Connectivity-challenged. At 1,662 m above sea level, Ukhrul offers ideal conditions
for a chocolatier. But it takes at least 15 days for a cocoa consignment (₹1,60,000 a tonne) to arrive from Pune.
It is no less difficult to offload the finished products,
currently sold in Manipur and Nagaland. “Connectivity is a big challenge, as
unreliable courier services prevent us from taking online orders. There is also
a scarcity of skilled people, resources, and ingredients,” Ms. Angkang says.
Such obstacles notwithstanding, Hill Wild produces 3,000 packets of chocolates
per month. It has added a unit to make artisanal sausages. Hill Wild, Angkang says, isn’t only about products. It has
encouraged women to take up commercial cultivation of organic pumpkin and other
ingredients for the chocolates
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