Where Have We Bean? 1st Cacao Stop: Philippines – Davao Region
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Travel Around the World, One Cacao Bean at a Time
That’s right, get excited. We’ve introduced bean to bar chocolate, we’ve talked about the process, we’re talking about flavors.
Now we start tasting.
Come and travel around the cacao belt with us, one bite at a time.
This series (“Where Have We Bean?”) is dedicated to exploration and trying something new. We expect chocolate to taste the same every time, when in reality it shouldn’t.
So we hope this series helps to bring the adventure back to chocolate eating.
How to Use This Craft Chocolate ‘Travel’ Guide:
Ground Rules: These are based on reviews on the site. The more flavor reviews, the more adventures we can highlight!
The most important thing is:
- Embrace Differences
- We do not rank or score the chocolate bars.
- because we all like different flavors, textures, %, etc.
- And Be Adventurous
- Discover what makes each bar special.
- Find your favorites.
That’s it!
So Pack Your Bags… Then Take a Bite.
For our first stop, we’re sampling chocolate made from Filipino cacao beans, and our amazing guides are Solkiki Chocolatemakers and Theo & Philo.
Specifically:
| Chocolate Bar One | Chocolate Bar Two | |
| Name | Heirloom Malagos 70% | 70% Dark Chocolate |
| Made by: | Solkiki Chocolatemaker (United Kingdom) | Theo & Philo (Philippines) |
| Cacao Bean Country of Origin | Philippines | Philippines |
| Cacao Bean Region | Davao | Davao |
| Cacao Bean Town | Malagos | Malabog |
Flavors We Found
Golden Caramel & Toffee
, Mild Chocolate
Deep Brown Fudgy Brownie
, Rich Chocolate
The first thing that hits are golden notes of caramel and toffee. The chocolate flavor itself stands back to let those flavors shine – and the entire experience is light and warming. Honestly, if we didn’t know it was a 70% bar, we would never have guessed it. It’s sweet and there’s not a single trace of bitterness. Plus it’s so smooth without any extra cacao butter.
Think fudgy, pure chocolate brownie goodness that, while slow to start, really hits hard out of nowhere. All of a sudden you’re tasting deep, rich brown chocolate that has a really nice subtle texture to it. Not at all bitter, and just a little bit sweet.
Intrigued?
Solkiki Chocolatemakers and Theo & Philo are amazing craft chocolate makers. They have taken on the challenge to highlight the cacao beans and create bars with a unique flavor. We love them both – you may prefer one over the other. The only way to find out… is to try them.
Taste the difference.
Find your favorite.
Leave a Review for Solkiki Here and Theo & Philo Here!
And feel free to ask any questions below – we’re here to help 🙂
Talk Beans with us!
Where to next?
Well if you’re new, we recommend:
And if you’re curious, we recommend:
And for something a little closer to home, perhaps try:
And if you’re still not so sure, check out what events or makers are in your area:
Got any questions? Feedback? Want to hi say? Reach out below – we’re always happy to chat!
Upcoming Event/s
Educational Course
‘18 October 2024’
Combined Level 1 & Level 2 Certificate in Chocolate Tasting by IICCT – Virtual Course
– Online home study with tasting kit – This course allows you to book the combined Level 1 and Level 2 online course for a special price. The Combined course […]
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