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One of every Dabawenyo’s point of pride is definitely the city being declared the “Chocolate Capital of the Philippines”. The Davao Region’s superb supply of Cacao has even made President Rodrigo Duterte dub the region the “Cacao Capital of the Philippines”.

I’ve had my own journey of appreciating cacao and what it took to produce it. It was in December 2019 when I first met Ma’am Wit of Gran Verde Farms. We were invited to take part in Ford Philippines’ Media Drive and we ventured into Gran Verde Farms to learn about Cacao Farming.

Cacao Farming is absolutely fascinating and that experience definitely made me respect the art that is cacao farming & chocolate creation. It truly amazes me how chocolate is known as a universal sign of happiness but not a lot of people appreciate the craft and process it took to make it. 

I love the fact that the Davao Region is home to the many artists behind some of the leading and best artisan chocolatiers in the country. 

So when Ma’am Wit Holganza reached out to me, now as the Davao City Cacao Industry Development Council (DCCIDC)’s project lead for the 3-Day Chocolate Fair Exhibit in Abreeza Ayala Mall, I was pretty excited. 

They also invited me to join the Cacao Appreciation event on July 9 and I was more than game to learn how to truly appreciate cacao…. in all its glory. 

The event was led by Chef Jill Sandique, the only Filipina who is a certified Level 3 graduate of the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting UK. She is also a culinary educator and consultant and brings with her over 25 years of experience having served as a judge in multiple culinary and chocolate competitions. Currently, she is one of the nine World Jury members of the International Chocolate Awards.  

It was an absolute privilege and honor to learn from her and what we learned in that single afternoon is something that changed how I enjoyed chocolate. 

It’s so weird how that single afternoon, shed light in a lot of flavors I barely noticed before. Here are just some of the things I learned: 

1. Flavors come to you instinctively. Don’t overthink it. 
2. Chocolate flavor can be described in four ways: Herbal/Spicy, Fruity, Dark Sweet, or Vegetal.
3. People can confuse the texture and temperature as part of the flavor, it is not. 

We ended the event enlightened, educated, and most importantly, full of happiness. After all, chocolates do equate to happiness, right?

The Chocolate Exhibit is just one of the council’s activities for Davaoeños to recognize and learn about the beauty of Cacao and how rich the region is for producing some of the best kinds. To learn more about Cacao in the region, follow Davao City Cacao Industry Development Council’s Facebook page here.