Amul’s dark chocolate revolution-Coffee, orange, milk to Ecuador, Peru

Amul’s dark chocolate range is now one of its USPs. But for people who saw the ’80s, ’90s, it’s hard to forget the small chocolate bars that were considered a treat back then.

A visit to any grocery store today to satiate cravings for chocolate will likely lead you to buying a certain product. Defined by its dark-brown coloured packaging with brightly coloured text and taking its name from the parent company of Gujarati origin, the chocolate bar is a sight for many sore eyes.

We are talking, of course, about Amul Chocolate, manufactured by the dairy cooperative that turned 75 this year. But the chocolates didn’t always look like this nor did they come in all the varieties of today; rather it is a result of an evolution that took place over 40 years, since Amul first began manufacturing chocolates.

Having been around for over seven decades, there’s plenty of nostalgia packed into each product. In July, a Twitter post of pictures on Indian history included an image of an Amul gift box of chocolates, dating back to 1985.

“Pyaar ki meethi bhaint (The sweet gift of love),” the tagline on the gift box reads.

“Oh gosh they were all so good. I ranked them Crisp > Coffee > Bitter > Orange > Fruit and Nut > Milk,” columnist Mihir Sharma said.

Other tweets recalled memories associated with the chocolate or receiving a box of the goodies.

“Got a tin box full of assorted chocolates for my fifth birthday back in 1985. I am still in love with Amul chocolates but I think they should definitely bring back Coffee and Crisp,” posted Twitter user Aninda Sardar.

Another user, Neha Banka said , “The packaging and the taste of Amul chocolates was entirely something else back then.”

“I remember receiving them as a Rakhi gift from my cousins. Not just that, my grandmother used to offer me these whenever I used to visit her since she knew I had a sweet tooth. I have a granddaughter now and I feel I would have enjoyed sharing that piece of my growing years with her,” 57-year-old Aishna Prakash told ThePrint.

Prakash, a homemaker, also recalled how the chocolates used to come in small square sizes.

However, despite the strong nostalgia connect, Amul’s latest branding, and taste, has appealed to its older clients too.

For 52-year-old Poonam Rani, also a homemaker, the current design is a refreshing modern take.

“Amul Crisp used to be one of my favourites. The taste was different from other standard chocolates. Though the old packaging evokes nostalgia, their current minimalistic packaging is rather refreshing to the eye,” she said.

Rajesh Singh, who is in his 50s and used to be a Cadbury fan, took to Amul thanks to his love for dark chocolates.

“My search for 90 per cent dark and even darker chocolates led me to Amul, and I discovered their range of single-origin chocolates in addition to the range of dark ones,” he said.