Museum of chocolates

The rugged hills, low-hanging clouds, perpetual drizzle, the lush green tea plantations lining the winding roads and the crisp woody smell of pine and eucalyptus trees permeating the air — that’s Ooty, but the other distinct feature is its thriving chocolate cottage industry. On the Main Bazaar Road, stretching from the railway station to Charring Cross, every 50 metres, there is a shop selling freshly made, melt-in-the-mouth chocolates. The salesmen were eager to offer us a taste of these heavenly chocolates, sold by weight. When we asked for more variety, we were directed to Choco Story, a chocolate museum, said to be India’s first.

When I looked up online for directions, M&N Choco Story was listed as one of the seven interesting places to visit in Ooty. The other six — Dolphin’s Nose, Botanical Garden, Sim’s Park, eating mirchi bajji with steaming hot tea at Doddabetta peak, buying woollens at throwaway prices, and the toy train ride, which unfortunately we missed.

Handy guide

• The chocolate museum at YWCA-Anandagiri is located on the Mysuru-Ooty road, 5 km from the Ooty bus stand.
• Ooty is well connected. The nearest airport is in Coimbatore (nearly 85 km), while the Mettupalayam railway station lies 40 km away.
• Save your museum ticket, which costs Rs 50. It can be exchanged for a wafer dipped in hot chocolate.
• Best time to visit is between March and June.

The visit to M&N Choco Story turned out to be the highlight of our trip. Tucked in the Nilgiri hills and located on the Mysuru-Ooty road, this museum is a hidden gem, and not just for the chocolate aficionados. Founded in 2013 and now run by a local family, M&N Choco Story attracts around 500 visitors daily and offers a variety of premium, vintage and classic chocolate collections. The museum has also found a place in the Limca Book of World Records for making the largest chocolate bar (18 metres) in India.

Its dedicated team of volunteers took us on a guided tour of this small but well-equipped museum, explaining the journey of chocolates from extracting cocoa beans to the bar. Well, a lot happens between the bean and the delectable bar — harvesting, grinding, brewing, roasting, blending and manufacturing the chocolate bar.

A hydraulic press separates the cocoa liquor from the bean into cocoa butter and cocoa powder. Extra whole milk or extra cocoa butter is added to the chocolate to keep it stable at room temperature. The museum has mannequins dressed in chocolate clothes. Other structures and models made out of chocolates add to the fun factor.

The nutty on the chocolate was not the availability of over 100 varieties under one roof, but the unique experience of making your own chocolate. We made our own chocolate in the flavour of our choice, and then carried it home. Witnessing the entire process of chocolate making and the do-it-yourself part was thrilling not just for the young, but also for the young at heart. Equally impressive was the passion exhibited by the guides and the staff. The visitors are given a complimentary gift of wafers dipped in chocolate in exchange for the entry ticket of Rs 50.

The founders of the Nilgiri Products Showroom (NPS) were trained by some British butlers to make chocolates, and so began their journey in making chocolates. Eventually, the chocolate lovers of the NPS family processed the thoughts of the founders (Mohamed Ebrahim and Noorulhein) and gave a new dimension to homemade chocolate making. In 2000, the Rahman Brothers created the brand M&N Chocolates as an honour to the founders.

— The writer is based in Mysuru