KOZHIKODE: An election is like a box of chocolates! Have your pick! By offering choice, a vote is akin to selecting from an assortment of the choicest fare. And Asheeka Khadeeja, a chocolatier from Mukkam, Kozhikode, has been abetting that guilty pleasure by featuring beaming faces of election candidates on her offerings.
Parties are flocking to Asheeka’s doorstep for her treats, turning them into the flavour of the season. The 29-year-old’s Rochies chocolates’ venture into the world of politics has been gaining wide popularity.
The vibrantly coloured wrappers adorned with the faces of candidates and their election symbols are now popular even outside the state.
“I received my first order from Shafi Parambil, the UDF candidate from Vadakara,” said Asheeka. “Till then, my orders were mostly for birthdays, weddings and other functions. Later, when videos of the manufacturing process of the chocolates for Shafi gained attention on social media, I started receiving orders from different parts of the country.”
The second order was from LDF candidate K K Shailaja. Thushar Vellappally, the NDA candidate from Kottayam, and K C Venugopal, the UDF contender in Alappuzha, also contacted Asheeka for her Rochies chocolates.
A graduate in lab technology, it was Asheeka’s love for chocolates that guided her decision to launch the business in 2019. “In addition to campaigns, we have been receiving orders from Telangana, Gujarat, Delhi, Kashmir, and Hyderabad. I even got one from the Delhi secretariat,” she adds. "I am unable to handle bulk orders, as my unit is small."