Chocolates from Bicol

Traveling through NAIA Terminal 2, I was browsing the shelves of the duty free store there and found these chocolates from the Bicol Region. Bicol, of course, is located in the eastern part of the country and mostly is on the island of Luzon. The provinces comprising the region are Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, and the island provinces of Catanduanes and Masbate.

An assortment of dark chocolates from Mayon Gold

They also have the larger boxes featuring the pili nut, which is probably among the products Bicol is known for. The pili is supposed to be endemic to the region and is not usually found elsewhere in the country.

Variants with turmeric and ginger, and chili. Bicol is also well known for food using chili and coconut milk (gata). They also have the 100% dark chocolate but I thought these were more suitable for cooking or perhaps crushed and toppings for dessert like ice cream.

Pilinut cruch and 90% dark chocolates

I will write a review of the chocolates I bought after we've eaten them. I did not buy the turmeric and chili variants as well as the dark chocolates with more than 80% cacao (too strong or bitter from my experience). But the quality of their 60% and 76% cacao chocolates should suffice in comparing them with the Auro and Malagos chocolates that I think stand out among Philippine chocolates.

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Street food in Bangkok

The trip last Holy Week holidays to Bangkok provided us with new experiences especially for our daughter. It was her first time in Thailand so she enjoyed the travel including our trip to an elephant sanctuary outside of Bangkok. While in Bangkok, we also tried some streetfood. I remember buying some snacks and fruits before during previous trips to Bangkok. This was the first time I got something to eat for breakfast or morning snacks.

Chicken or duck on display at a streetside shop in Bangkok

I saw this vendor from the local coffee shop where the wife was buying some coffee. He's grilling and selling what appears to be a familiar food.

This turned out to be what we would call a variant of kakanin or rice cakes.

The vendor

Deep fried bread like the donuts you can buy at the market but without the sugar coating.

The vendors have Buddhist monks as 'suki' or regular customers.

Deep fried delicacy fresh from the street vendor that morning.

The rice cake to me was a bigger version and serving of what we typically call 'tupig'. This made my day as part of my breakfast and went really well with my hot chocolate.

 

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Chocolates from Iloilo

No, this is not yet a review. I just wanted to share these chocolates I got from a pasalubong store at the Molo Mansion across from the Molo Church in Iloilo City.

Dark and mil chocolate bars from Lorenzo Farm

Nutrition and other information on the chocolates.

The chocolates were made by a farm in Dingle, Iloilo. Dingle is an interior town of Iloilo locate to the north-northeast of Iloilo City past the town of Pototan. The climate and other conditions there might be good for growing cacao. I assume this can be classified as a single origin chocolate. I will give my reviews of each chocolate as soon as I have sampled or eaten them.

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