Asin tibuok, Malagos chocolate now available in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines - The people of Bohol are keepers of a dying salt-making tradition. The tedious process starts by soaking coconut husks in seawater for months.

The husks are then left to dry in the sun for a few days before they are burned slowly till reduced to ashes. The coconut ash is mixed with seawater.

The brine is then boiled in clay pots, and finally you have the labor of love called asin tibuok – a solid chunk or tibuok of salt that can be found only in Albuquerque, Bohol.

The Philippines also produces premium chocolate. Artisan chocolate makers worldwide know the value of single-origin chocolate.

Cacao beans sourced from only one particular region carry with them a more distinctive and pronounced taste, and bring with them the satisfaction of purchasing ethically produced chocolates.

Malagos chocolate is made from cocoa beans grown at the Puentespina farms in the foothills of Mt. Talomo in Davao. It is chocolate harvested from carefully nurtured trees and processed without the stain of child labor.

In addition to being a single-origin, ethically produced product, Malagos chocolate is created using specialized equipment.

It uses a ball mill that can grind beans to  25 microns, a quality often sought in the production of fine chocolates.

Precision-controlled roasting makes sure the beans are heated to the correct temperature, preserving their aroma.

The tempering machine makes sure the temperature-sensitive chocolate mass is further improved, rendering it smooth, with that desirable gloss and firm snap.

Malagos chocolate is great for baking, confectionery, ice cream and  champorado.

Asin tibuok and Malagos chocolate are available at Kitchen Elf, the new destination in southern Metro Manila for baking and confectionery enthusiasts.

Kitchen Elf is located at the ground floor, Evia Lifestyle Center along Daang Hari in Las Pinas. For inquiries, call 0917 630 6005.