Philippine Chocolate Festival 2014

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Fascinated by the eccentric organizer's name for the Philippine Chocolate Festival 2014 made me curiouser and curiouser, so I went last February 15, 2014,  for the first time to find what's the wonder at SM Masinag. Indeed Chocco Locco GOC folks are for real crazy about chocolates, and so are the speakers and demonstrators.

Although devoid of those grand and fancy eye candy decors its sheer simplicity makes you more focused on the essence of what chocolate is.  A centerpiece of chocolate display but it was a cornucopia of  the festival's uniquenes with their emphasis on organic cacao products and highlighting local artisan chocolatiers.

There were fewer booths but am so glad to find my all time favorite ChocoATBP with their famed batirol, tablea drinks and their fantastic fudge that melts in your mouth. What is also unique about this festival is that hardly could you find those well known commercial chocolate brands, although some of their sponsors have booth like - DLA naturals, Puratos-Belcolade,  Beryls, Selbourne, Sweetlink, Bensdorp, etc.

Philippine Chocolate Festival 2014, a set on Flickr.

At the event center several speakers were lined up to give their talk from, chocolate chefs,  cacao farming, to making pralines, mixing chocolate drinks, making hot chocolate drink using batirol and pastry (eclair) using chocolate dips. I had a chance to listen to the presentation of my good friend - MJ Mercado of Tsokolate, Abe! (Chocolate, My Friend) demonstrating his famed mocha shot - coffee bean covered with chocolate. MJ is a classmate at Shangri-la's Chocolate Class under Chef Anthony Collar. And these days MJ is one of the artisan chocolatier to watch out. I got from him a mocha shot - coffee bean covered in chocolate and packaged in a real shot glass and his popular, best-selling and most ordered truffle bouquet.

Impressive was the effort that couple Alex and Jessica of Choco Locco Gourmet of Chocolate have put together to organize the Philippine Chocolate Festival. I am happy that there are individuals crazy enough to showcase the talents of budding artisan chocolatiers and cacao growers.  And make the public understand the effort of farmers to produce cacao and the talent and love of artisan chocolatiers and chefs to produce nice chocolates and dishes and drinks with chocolate. Participants like students from Rizal and the public in general benefited a lot from those talks and presentations and the many chocolate trivia and facts that were shared.

Congratulations Alex and Jessica for a job well done and hope to be part again of the next Philippine Chocolate Festivals in the future!

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Eastwood Libis Chocolate Festival 2013

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Eastwood Libis Chocolate Festival 2013, a set on Flickr.

My second year to attend the Chocolate Festival in Eastwood Mall, Libis, QC. Many came and milling around the booth especially there was a chocolate buffet. Saw in the buffet table that there were lots of cakes and brownies this year unlike last year.

I first visited the booth of ChocoATBP and was so glad to see varieties of their brownies which I liked so much. The fiery chili was fantastic, each bit excites the palate that you crave for more. It is moist and dense of the rich flavor of cacao and sili. I also bought the orange flavor, crumbly on the side but have dense and moist core. I was told it was made from orange juice and some rind, the sourness of the orange just rightly complements with the chocolate and it is definitely a great refreshing dessert after meal.

Sir Boyet was so welcoming seeing me again at the festival, and he offered me their classic choco drink, then introduce me to his new concoction (option was Baileys or Jack Daniels), a chocolate aperitif, hot Choco in Jack Daniels, I was so amazed to see him add one shot glass to the chocolate drink. The result, a perfect blend of mild bitter choco with a zing of whisky. Good thing there was another guy whom I shared the drink otherwise I might be drinking the whole concoction.

I told him that I mix some tequila with cappucino/milk cafe and have never tried mixing alcohol to a choco drink. And he informed that he also got a tequila and he can mix a drink for me, but I politely declined, am afraid I might get drunk at the festival.

I saw the booth of Risa Chocolates also, am happy to see their new lines of chocolates. The Roasted Milk with Pili chocolate bar is definitely meant for their younger market. They also have several chocolate bars aside from the truffles and pralines. I bought the 70% South Cotabato Dark Chocolate. I was told that their chocolate could very well compete with the Valrhona Guanaja (I've tasted the Guanaja Crue) Chocolates. Tasting the chocolate, I definitely agree that their 70% South Cotabato Dark is at par. The initial taste is bitter with a middle taste of sweetness and a finish of bitter with a slight tannin after-taste. It is definitely a chocolate for mature chococophiles who are health conscious and appreciate dark chocolate.

A newcomer to the festival is Malagos Chocolates, and generating so much curiosity and attraction from the public. I got a pack of unsweetened chocolate and hope to make some truffles. I might experiment also concocting some chocolate aperitifs with Malagos Chocolates.

As a Pinoychocophile I am definitely proud to witness this very exciting development of artisan chocolate industry in the country. I hope to see more great products from the current bunch of chocolatiers and I hope to see more chocolatiers in future chocolate festivals.

I observed that most of the chocolates are coming from Mindanao (Malagos, Davao, South Cotabato, etc) whatever happened to the cacao industry of Aurora, Southern Tagalo, Bicol, Cebu and the rest of the Visayas? I hope to see them around next time. I know for sure that there's a thriving business of tablea in those regions but they rarely gets promoted in events and exhibitions here in Manila.  Well in any case I will definitely visit those places someday for their tsokolate!

 ChocoATBP

Malagos Chocolate

Related Post

Photos of the Chocolate Festival 2012
http://pinoychocophile.blogspot.com/2012/09/photos-of-chocolate-festival-2012.html#.Uisyr9Lsjng