Chocolate, Reimagined: A Valentine’s Journey Through The Five Stages Of Love

Not all love stories are spoken. Some unfold quietly: in glances held a second longer, in shared silences, in flavours that linger. This Valentine’s Day, chocolate steps away from its familiar role as

a boxed indulgence and becomes something far more immersive: a language of texture, temperature and emotion. Think less confectionery, more curation; less sugar rush, more sensory theatre – an experience imagined by Fabelle, the luxury chocolate brand by ITC.

It is this Sufi philosophy that shapes ‘The Arc Of Love’, a limited-edition collection and dining journey that treats cocoa not as candy but as craft. “At Fabelle, craftsmanship is our foundation, but innovation is our compass. With this experience, we’ve translated that unfolding journey into flavour, form and feeling, so couples savour not just chocolate, but the poetry of love,” says Subash Balar, Vice President and Business Head – Chocolates, Coffee and Confectionery & NCD, Foods Division, ITC Limited.

Five Emotions, Five Pralines

The collection reads like chapters in a romance.

Fabelle presents The Arc of Love

The Beginning opens softly – a pristine white chocolate shell filled with milk chocolate mousse and caramelised macadamia nuts, delicate and hopeful. The Bloom follows with a milk chocolate casing and spiced mousse, mirroring the thrill and heat of early infatuation. The Bond turns more complex: ruby chocolate layered with lemon conserve and dark mousse, capturing love’s sweet-and-sour negotiations. The Belief deepens into pure dark chocolate dipped in cocoa liquor, steady and assured, symbolic of trust. Finally, The Beyond surprises with rich chocolate and cheese mousse lifted by French sea salt – bold, intense and lingering.

Each piece is less about overt sweetness and more about nuance – crafted for slow appreciation rather than quick bites. For Balar, this signals a larger shift. “Indian luxury chocolate is stepping confidently onto the global stage. Experiences like these move the conversation from consumption to connoisseurship. Chocolate today is appreciated much like fine wine or couture – slowly and sensorially.”

When Chocolate Meets Fine Dining

Beyond the praline box, the narrative expands into a seven-course menu where cocoa quietly enters savoury territory. Chocolate is no longer a dessert. It becomes an ingredient with depth and gravitas.

Sicilian Lemon Infused Avocado Battuta with Toasted Hazelnut Crumble and Cocoa

“Chocolate is not a confection, it is an ingredient. We let it shine without overpowering, ensuring it harmonises with other elements, just like partners in love,” says ITC Fabelle’s Master Chocolatier Yashita Sharma.

That philosophy plays out across the courses. A marinated burrata arrives with mesclun greens, sour cherry glaze and delicate dark chocolate curls, the cocoa adding depth rather than sweetness. Beet carpaccio and goat cheese are finished with a restrained white chocolate drizzle, while a Jerusalem artichoke soup gains unexpected richness from dark chocolate folded into its base.

Homemade Fettuccini with Roasted Peppers, Aged Parmesan and Dark Chocolate Crumble

Further along, the pairings grow bolder. Fresh Homemade fettuccini tossed with roasted peppers and aged parmesan is lifted with a dark chocolate crumble, and a confit duck leg is glazed in a dark chocolate and red wine reduction that adds smoky intensity rather than dessert-like sweetness. The journey culminates in the Fabelle Cocoa Trail, a finale that brings chocolate back to its familiar territory, but now with new appreciation.

What emerges is a redefinition of luxury – not excess, but intention. Precision over abundance. Experience over gifting. By transforming cocoa into a multi-course, multi-sensory journey, this Valentine’s offering proves that chocolate can be more than a token gesture.

The Fabelle Cocoa Trail

Where To Experience It

The seven-course dining experience will be hosted exclusively on 14 February at select ITC Hotels across Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata at signature restaurants Cajsa and Ottimo, priced at ₹15,000 per couple (pre-booking required). The limited-edition praline box is priced at ₹845.

In the end, this isn’t just about gifting chocolate. It’s about slowing down long enough to taste a story – one that unfolds, matures and deepens, just like love itself.