There are few foods that people feel passionate about, a passion that goes beyond a love for the sweetness of most desserts. After all, everyone craves chocolate, the rich and indulgent delight derived from cocoa beans. But what if you could turn a simple 6-minute cake recipe into a life-changing journey filled with chocolatey adventures? Kinley Pelden, a Bhutanese entrepreneur and a master in science, whose life took a delectable turn when a sweet idea turned into a delicious reality.
Kinley’s chocolate odyssey began in 2014 when her 11-year-old daughter, a culinary adventurer in her own right, asked a seemingly simple question, “Can we make our own chocolates, Mom?” This innocent query ignited a spark in Kinley’s culinary imagination. She embarked on a quest to create a homemade chocolate recipe, starting with the basics – cocoa powder, milk, and caramelized sugar.
The first attempt yielded a delicious result, but the chocolate remained gooey even after spending three days in the freezer. Kinley was not satisfied with this initial outcome. Determined to perfect her chocolate-making skills, she turned to the internet, searching for guidance and stumbled upon the secrets of molding compound chocolates, typically used in confectioneries.As her curiosity continued to grow, Kinley delved deeper into the world of chocolates, discovering the potential of incorporating locally sourced ingredients to create a bar of super-healthy chocolate.
Inspired by her newfound knowledge and the delightful prospects, she began sharing her chocolate and confectionery concepts with friends and family. Kinley was eager to bring the taste of her creations to a broader audience.However, despite the initial enthusiasm, she found that nobody was willing to take action on her innovative ideas. Undaunted by the setbacks, Kinley decided to take matters into her own hands. She saw an opportunity to create neighborhood chocolates using the wealth of local ingredients at her disposal.
Kinley Pelden’s journey is an inspiring tale of how a simple 6-minute cake recipe sparked her interest in chocolates, leading her to explore and create her unique path in the world of confectionery. Today, she stands as an entrepreneur, determined to share her delicious creations with the world and bring the taste of Bhutanese chocolate to a broader audience.
Kinley’s story teaches us that passion, perseverance, and a love for experimentation can transform a seemingly ordinary recipe into a life-changing adventure. As she continues to perfect her chocolate-making skills and create delightful treats, we can only anticipate more delicious surprises from this aspiring chocolate entrepreneur.
Kinley Pelden’s 6-minute cake recipe has indeed changed her life, and it’s safe to say that it has the potential to change the lives of chocolate lovers worldwide. Established in April 2017 with the mission to produce a unique chocolate experience with joy in every bite which is mindfully crafted using the finest cacao, enriched with innovative flavors and unique inclusions that honor the biodiversity and culinary heritage of Bhutan. From then Kinley became the founder of Yiga Chocolates.Additionally, Yiga Chocolates creates authentic Bhutanese chocolates with different flavored chocolates as gifts which come with delightful packaging, especially for events such as birthdays. Their handcrafted fine
chocolate comes into two categories, bars and truffles.
The goods were introduced to the market in August 2018 and were being sold as of March 2021 in five Dzongkhags by 13 stores, including BHR Café and Bhutan Essence at Paro International Airport’s departure lounge. Furthermore, her handmade chocolates have been advertised at international events in a number of nations, including Japan, South Korea, Germany, the United States, Singapore, India, and Australia.There are many thrilling difficulties and great learning opportunities that come with starting a business. In the journey of Yiga Chocolate was overwhelmed with financial and technical issues. She said on the technical front, the tempering process, the art of harnessing thermodynamics’ to get the right stable crystals, really needed practice over time, experience, and keen observation. Further, chocolate is very sensitive to both temperature and humidity.
Well, the issue was resolved when she was given a collateral-free loan of Nu 500,000 by the Loden Foundation, which was sufficient to pay for a machine and other essential company supplies. For Kinley, each day is a fresh start with fresh problems to solve and fresh opportunities’ to pursue personal and professional progress. So far Yiga Chocolates has employed five employees recruited through the Direct Employment Scheme of the Ministry of Labor.
In the future, Yiga Chocolate plans to grow Yiga as a dynamic and innovative chocolate business, aligned to the essence of our development principles and Buddhist prescripts. She mentioned “The Divine Tablet” is a delicious dark chocolate bar loaded with hazelnuts which is a great source of antioxidants, and energy, and is healthy for your heart. It helps to improve the blood flow in the body while lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It is also the first bean-to-bar chocolate created by Yiga Chocolate, making the chocolate that much more unique as the quality of the cacao bean, the quality of other ingredients, and the quality of the methods used to produce it make it far superior to mass processed.
There are other chocolates that made Yiga chocolate a success, Dragon Delight (Ezay and dark chocolate), Omega Zone (Chia, Perilla, and dark chocolate), Exquisite Crunch Quinoa, pink Salt and dark chocolate), and Pick Me Up (mountain coffee and dark chocolate).Alongside the chocolate startup, Kinley mentors’ business owners in agricultural and product development by listening to them, providing knowledge, and connecting them to networks that will help them establish and grow their enterprises.
She describes how, throughout her entrepreneurial adventure thus far, one thing led to another in a lovely way. She thinks that being an entrepreneur does not always mean having a business. In whatever position or work at hand, one can be enterprising. It is a singular pursuit of effectiveness and efficiency
in task completion. Kinley says that being attentive and conscious even during routine daily activities contributed to the conception of her firm. She said that one must be aware of one’s own interests, abilities, and weaknesses before learning about the opportunities and threats present in the corporate world.
Moreover, Kinley asserts that everyone has a special moment in time and that you should trust your journey while giving your all in the moment. “A bar at a time, Yiga Chocolates thinks that their team is
made up of enthusiastic beings that inhale dreams exhale creativity, and spread the joy of co-creation. Join us on our adventure!”
By Purne Maya
