MAD CHOCO WOMAN, MADHU

(EMBARKS ON A VALENTINE DAY TREAT)

She is a communications specialist by profession, working as the Head of Marketing and Communications with a leading consultancy firm. But her demanding corporate job couldn’t rob her off her childhood passion; And what a better passion it can be than making chocolates, experimenting with chocolates, innovating chocolates, packing them over weekends to share with friends and family and bring in that chocoholic smile. Meet Madhumita Upadhyay. Incidentally her name has that tinge of honey in it (‘madhu’ means honey in Bengali) and she ensures her chocolates too bear a heavenly taste, if not better.

Madhu had posted pictures of some of her home made chocolates on Facebook one day and I put in immediately, “Will you eat alone? Why not us?” And next week comes her love chocolates, wrapped in delightful papers through her cousin. I was overwhelmed. I was touched. Not just because the chocolates came as an unannounced treat, but because they were madly delicious.

My husband often treats me to Belgian chocolates that he gets from his trips abroad, bitter sweet, unlike the Dairy Milk or even the Bournville that we are aquainted with. I love that taste. To my surprise I found Madhumita’s chocolates bearing the same taste, something that’s terribly missing in chocolates that we buy across stores spending hundreds in India. And thanks to her innovations, the shapes and sizes are so artistic and awesome.

Not just the typical heart-shaped ones, there are fan-shaped, wing-shaped, bell-shaped, ball-shaped and the best part is surely the colourful sprinklers spread across, that catches your imagination and gives in that munchy taste as they melt slowly in your mouth. Madly erotic too!

Madhu has fond memories of her childhood when her dad used to bring a Dairy Milk every day while returning home.  Though there was none to treat her to such a wonderful stuff over the last 24 years, the choco child in her was still alive. She gave it shape to the choco woman, that she is today.
Baking and chocolate making gives her a new high. It’s a sort of stress buster as well, over weekends, hunting for the best raw materials down the old world lanes of New Market with her nine-year-old nephew Kanakayush and her sister Haimanti in tow, or experimenting with a new choclate recipe and then bringing out one of the best shape, size, texture, smell and taste.

It was her hobby till one of her friends ordered for customised chocolates as return gifts on her son’s birthday. And needless to say, they were such a big hit that Madhu has decided to turn her passion and hobby into a treating business as well. With Valentine’s Day round the corner, she is experimenting with special shapes and packaging that would look good. Though she has time constraint as she is into a full time job, yet she doesn’t hesitate to make chocolates and take orders. What’s even more amazing is her chocolates are pretty affordable compared to market rates, though she can customise the packing and the shapes and never does compromise on the quality. 

The best that is in demand is the flavoured and the nut & raisin combination. Bitter ones are not up to our palate but yes few prefer it.
So, with Valentine’s week on, she is madly busy shelling out chocolates and if any of you would like to taste those yummy choco surprises, do call her on 9836234119 or write to her at madhumita_u@yahoo.com.