The chocolate industry in the Philippines developed after introducing the cocoa tree into Philippine agriculture. The growing of cacao or cocoa boasts a long history stretching from the colonial times. Originating from Mesoamerican forests, cacao was first introduced by the Spanish colonizers four centuries ago. Since then the Philippine cocoa industry has been the primary producer of cocoa beans in Southeast Asia. There are many areas of production of cacao in the Philippines, owing to soil and climate. The chocolate industry is currently on a small to medium scale.
Etymology, history and development
Local terms
The word "chocolate" as we know it today was spelled in different ways throughout time, in different ways such as "chocalatall", "jocolatte", "jacolatte", and "chockelet". It is a derivative of the word cacahuatl or xocoatl, a bitter drink the Aztecs brewed from cacao beans mixed with spices, wine, and other local ingredients that can be traced back to Pre-Columbian Mexico.
Cacahuatl is an amalgamation of the Mayan words kaj and kab, which translates to "bitter juice". The suffix -atl that means water or liquid was added to kajkab, forming kajkabatl, and then later kajkabhuatl with the insertion of the diphthong hu.
The cacao tree, whose scientific Latin name given by Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus in 1753 is Theobroma cacao, is one of the 22 Theobroma species. Theobroma means "food for the Gods", from the Greek words theo (god) and broma (food). This species is utilized as raw materials for pharmaceutical products and cosmetics, however, cacao is primarily used for the production of chocolate and cocoa by processing the beans.
In the Filipino language, chocolate translates as tsokolate, which is also a hot chocolate drink made from tablea, cacao tablets made from roasted and ground cacao nibs molded into rounds or tablets traditionally used in the Philippines for making hot chocolate. A batirol, the Filipino adaptation of the Mexican molinillo, is used to thoroughly mix hot water with the tablet in a chocolatera to make it frothy. The result is tsokolate de batirol, a thick, creamy, hot chocolate drink, otherwise referred to as sikawate in the Visayas region.
Tablea is also used in the production of champorado, among many other cacao delicacies. Written tsamporado in Filipino, it is a sweet, rice porridge dish in the Philippines enjoyed by many hot or cold, usually partnered with dried fish, called tuyo or daing.
Origin of cacao in the Philippines
The cacao plant was primarily brought to the Philippines in the 1700s when a Spanish galleon from Mexico transported pure Criollo, considered to be one of the best kinds of cacao, from Mesoamerica to the Pacific. Although cacao trees were originally grown in Mexico and Central America, the Philippines became an ideal cultivation grounds for cacao because of its geography as a tropical rainforest located 10-15 degrees from the Earth's Equator, with the cacao belt located within 20 degrees of the Equator. Today, cacao trees are cultivated throughout equatorial region including the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands of Samoa and New Guinea.
Key areas for production of Cacao
Batangas
Although the province of Batangas only accounts for 0.47 metric tons of cacao production , it is well known for its tsokolate tablea or chocolate tablets which are considered one of its delicacies and is often used to make traditional Filipino hot chocolate.
Cebu
Cebu along with other Central Visayas provinces contribute only around 1% of cacao production in the country, however, Cebu is known for producing quality cacao. Although there are currently less than a hundred farmer associations, cooperatives, and individual growers planting on an estimated 2,000 hectares in Cebu, the province aims to have a greater share in cacao production. The province is home to criollo or the "cacao bisaya", which is a superior quality cacao that has a strong, aromatic bittersweet taste and rich texture. It is also home to Ralfe Gourmet, The Chocolate Chamber, and Casa de Cacao headed by Raquel Choa who is known for elevating Philippine cacao-based products.