Why PM Modi’s 'Melody' gift to Giorgia Meloni has got every '90s kid craving a chocolate fix

Melody, which came wrapped as a toffee, rather than a chocolate bar, with the punchline “Melody itna chocolaty kyon hai [why is Melody so chocolaty],” similarly holds a permanent place in many hearts.

Long before Swiss and Italian brands like Toblerone and Ferrero Rocher started appearing on the shelves of neighbourhood departmental stores in urban India, chocolate meant the ubiquitous Cadbury’s (Dairy Milk, Fruit & Nut, Five Star…), or to a somewhat lesser degree Amul (reportedly a market leader in the ‘70s, but since declined) and Nestle (though KitKat which was introduced in the country in 1995 was an instant hit). Toffee or candy was yet to include Fox’s; the country’s candy crush thrived on simple caramel toffees, fruity sweets and quirky wrappers that every ‘90s child could instantly recognise. From modest orange candies, Melody, Mango Bite, Poppins, Kismi, Paan Pasand and Phantom candy cigarettes, to name a few, variety was not an issue.

Many of these sweets have retained the same taste for decades; perhaps explaining why they continue to evoke such deep nostalgia, when chocolates and candies have moved beyond mass produced varieties to gourmet, hand crafted options, with varying levels of sweetness and cacao count to choose from.

And so, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently carried a bag of Melody chocolates for his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni — playfully nodding to the internet’s viral “Melodi” memes — millennials, as well as Gen Z, across India, instantly smiled at the sweet throwback.

Many recalled the candy which began with a rich, chewy chocolate layer that slowly melted into a smooth caramel centre, making that shift in texture surprisingly exciting for children. It was one of those rare candies that felt indulgent despite costing just a rupee or two.

Also read: In Lucknow, as a 'royal kitchen' undergoes restoration, locals recall a flavour only partly surviving

Asha Naidu, a 35-year-old home baker from Bengaluru, says she noticed a sudden surge in orders for chocolate cakes. “Dark chocolate cakes have always been among my clients’ favourites, but in the past week the requests were far more specific,” she shares. “Many customers wanted actual Melody candies incorporated into the cake design, while others asked for handcrafted Melody-inspired models as decorations.”

One particular order challenged her creativity the most. “The client wanted the cake to recreate the signature gooey caramel texture inside a Melody candy, so that it would actually ooze out when sliced,” she says. “It was technically difficult, but experimenting with textures and presentation made the process exciting — and thankfully, the final result was a success,” she says.

Social media buzz around ‘Melodi’s’ Melody moment also reportedly sparked enthusiasm among both consumers and retail investors, not pushing up shares of a certain Parle Industries — in a case of mistaken identity, since the infra-real estate firm has no links to Parle Products, the company behind the candy brand — but it also triggered a sudden surge in demand for Melody toffees across India.

Parle Products confirmed that the candy has witnessed an unusual spike in sales over the past days. “Across India, we are seeing a huge demand, and we have instructed distributors to push additional stocks of the product,” said Mayank Shah, vice-president, Parle Products, was quoted as saying by the media.

The sudden nostalgia-driven demand reportedly led to Melody going out of stock on several e-commerce platforms, surprising even warehouse and delivery workers. Akash Kumar, a 20-year-old delivery executive, jokingly remarked that Melody orders had suddenly become a daily conversation at warehouses. “Earlier, hardly anyone used to ask for it, and now suddenly everyone wants Melody,” he says with a laugh.

While the present moment belongs to Melody, India’s chocolate-candy nostalgia is all kinds of sweet.

Delhi-NCR-based confectionery chain Whipped describes its Dairy Milk Chocolate Cake as “childhood memories” baked in a cake, a “perfect nostalgia” that can “only be felt”. The entire top layer of the cake is a massive Dairy Milk bar.

The Dairy Milk Chocolate Cake is also something that 37-year-old Chandigarh-based home baker Neetu Bhalla swears by. “It’s more than chocolate — it’s an emotion,” she says. The recipe came from one of her mother’s colleagues when Neetu was a child. “Since then, it has become my favourite go-to cake when anyone asks for a simple chocolate cake for birthdays and special occasions. Cleverly, the recipe captures Dairy Milk’s flavour and nostalgia without actually baking the chocolate into the batter, but we do use a lot of Dairy Milk chocolate cubes to decorate. It’s a lot of chocolate,” she adds.

At Arun Babu’s two- decades-old tea stall in Shyambazar, Kolkata, one of the first things to catch the eye is a plate overflowing with candies, sitting beside a gas stove where the kettle is always boiling hot. Arun Babu’s customers come here not just for a cup of tea, but for the memories it stirs — college days, first dates, old friendships, and moments long gone, and possibly the candies… Mango Bites or Kismi toffees that he hands out in exchange for currency when no loose change is available. “These old treats hold the warmth of simpler times and transport people back to their golden days,” Arun Babu says with a gentle smile.

Sneha Panda, a 47-year-old computer teacher from Rourkela, Odisha, would agree. “We all remember how that one rupee from home felt precious. We would save part of it to buy Kismi, Mango Bite, or Poppins. The best part was sharing that tiny toffee with friends,” she recalls.

Also read: Why Bengal's iconic jhalmuri and telebhaja may be seeing a change in fortunes in Kolkata

Which perhaps explains why, though, over the past few years, “we’ve seen a rise in craft and gourmet chocolate brands offering different cocoa percentages, origin-specific chocolates, and more complex flavour profiles”, “Dairy Milk has completely lost its relevance”, agrees 27-year-old chocolatier Yashasvi Samrat, the talent behind Delhi-based confectionery brand Flùr Chocolaterie.

“Social media and greater exposure to global food trends have made people more curious about what they’re eating and where it comes from. The bean-to-bar trend has definitely changed how chocolate is perceived and consumed. People today like to be more aware of what’s being added to their chocolate, how it is being made and where it is being made. Chocolate is being perceived as more than just a sweet treat, with consumers appreciating factors like cocoa percentage, sugar content, etc,” she says. Talking about the role of memories, however, she adds: “For many of us, it’s [Dairy Milk] deeply tied to childhood memories, celebrations, and everyday moments. Nostalgia plays a huge role in why people still enjoy it. So while palates have definitely evolved and consumers are seeking more variety, Dairy Milk continues to hold a special place because of the emotional connection people have with it.”

Now, Melody’s resurgence has again proven that the simplest treats leave behind the richest memories, turning nostalgia itself into a sweet ‘Melody’ that generations still cherish. What began as a simple packet of toffees gifted by PM Modi to Italian Prime Minister Meloni has turned into a cultural moment, reconnecting millions with recollections of school recess, pocket money and carefree childhood afternoons.