Kochi chef, 21, uses cacao husk dessert to highlight labor behind ingredients

Fort Kochi: On a swelteringly hot March afternoon, diners by the sea in Fort Kochi were served a pudding made from cacao husk, presented in a bowl crafted from coconut shell.

The dessert is part of Tideline, a tasting menu created by 21-year-old Kochi chef Armaan Essa. Tideline is described as a progression of courses shaped by the coast. The meal is designed to unfold slowly. Each course is a moment rather than a statement. Diners are called to listen while they eat.

Essa said the cacao husk pudding was inspired by the labor embedded in everyday ingredients. “Coffee and cacao do not begin as commodities,” he said. “They become valuable through repeated removal of pulp, fat, labour, and time. Long before they reach the table, both pass through systems that prioritise efficiency and yield, often stripping away context and visibility of work.”

By using cacao husk, Essa said he wants to draw guests’ attention back to the labour that’s gone into the ingredients. The dish was served at a table intended for 12 people by the sea.