This green-eyed, handsome man is a chocolatier. Christian Valdes magically conjures up chocolate creations, that casts a spell on our palates to want more. What’s interesting is that you can taste a bit of our history and our culture as well.
“Our chocolate has the power to act as a bridge for the enjoyer to our colorful heritage,” says the cool chocolate chef about his refined confectionery. “This connection is our main focus, and our vision is to really highlight the Philippines and its riches to a larger world market.”
In 2018, Christian established CMV Txokolat. “Basically, when I started this company, it was a way for me to express myself. At that time I was connecting with my culture, being American-born and raised. It was an exhilarating time to learn about the wealth of Philippine culture, and it was an exciting time because of the people I was meeting, their stories, the language, history, cuisine, and the country in general. I was able to draw inspiration from my surroundings, and express it through my craft. Little did I know, this was one of the things that
would set my business apart from the rest.”
CMV Txokolat is Christian’s platform to pay homage to his Filipino culture and to make it shine. “My brand is a representation of how I married two of my favorite things: my love for the Philippines and my love for chocolate.”
“Chocolate has always been a curiosity for me,” he continues. “When I was growing up, I was lucky to have a grandma with the best chocolate from around the world, and a mom who opened my eyes to some of the first craft chocolates. Because I was exposed to different kinds of chocolate at a young age, the seeds of curiosity that would lead to my fascination were sown. Ever since I can remember, chocolate has been part of my life, during my ups, downs, and even uneventful times, so much so that it’s become part of who I am.”
In early 2012, Christian already knew he wanted to become a chocolatier. It started out as a hobby. “I was still studying, and I was looking for something to do that I enjoyed. My interest was piqued when my friend, who was making chocolate, showed me his creations and taught me how to make chocolate myself. I then began making intricate chocolate designs and unique flavors for family and friends. This snowballed, and I started getting order upon order.”
He then began exploring and learning more about this hobby, the craft, and his passion. It allowed him to express his creativity and share his vision.
Christian is mainly a self-taught chocolatier, and this is through research and practice. His hospitality management degree in college is not in the culinary arts, but somehow I think it’s related. “I studied courses at Chocolate World in Antwerp, Belgium, and under the cacao and chocolate expert Chloe Doutre in Paris, France. More recently, I became a certified Level 1 and 2 cacao bean grader/ taster under the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting.”
Now let’s talk about his exquisite chocolates. According to Christian, his products have character and charisma, and each is a piece of art made with a keen eye for detail and skillfully done by hand. “We make sure the application of ingredients, flavors and the vision are balanced and executed in a way that it translates to the enjoyer. Our products allow the enjoyer to connect with our chocolate and our culture. Each piece has a story of its own, whether it be a memory, a place or a piece of our heritage.”
CMV Txokolat chocolate creations include Binondo, a milk chocolate praline with red tea, clove, anise and cinnamon. It’s named after the oldest Chinatown in the world, which was established in 1594 by the Spaniards here on our shores.
Gin Pomelo is praline infused with pomelo and gin made into a ganache, and piped into a thin white chocolate shell. Christian recalls, “When I first moved to the Philippines and was getting my bearings, I rode in a taxi and was conversing with the driver. He shared a story about when he was still in school, how his friends used to drink local gin and mix it with Tang Pomelo flavor. We didn’t have anything like this in the US, so I thought it was an interesting way to capture that memory, and make it into a chocolate. And, funny enough, many people had similar memories with growing up and drinking ‘gin pom.’”
Sunrise Mangoes is CMV Txokolat’s latest product; it uses dried Cebu mangoes dipped in their Cielo chocolate (roasted white chocolate), with Mindoreño sea salt, and pink peppercorns. The flavor tends to pop in your mouth and is reminiscent of a Philippine sunrise. Each piece is dipped in chocolate horizontally like the sun breaking the horizon, and also guarantees that each bite has the perfect balance of chocolate and mango.
Gumamela has Hibiscus sabdariffa infused into a white chocolate ganache, and piped into a dark chocolate shell. The flavor is more berry-like than floral. “I wanted to create this as a chocolate based on the story I heard from many people who grew up here. When they were kids, they would get the gumamela flowers and mash it up to make bubbles,” says Christian.
Sofia Strawberries are made from jumbo strawberries from La Trinidad, Benguet, filled with Nutella, then dipped in milk chocolate. Each strawberry is then luxuriously adorned with gold dust, and drizzled more with milk chocolate. The strawberries were named after Christian’s niece Sofia.
Vegan Truffles are described as “a chocolate that tastes like sin, but is good for you.” The truffles are dairy-free, and have the option to be nut-free as well. They are made using Lakatan bananas and almond milk, or oat milk and dark chocolate.
There are many scientific benefits to chocolate. Dark chocolate can help improve blood flow and pressure. It can reduce the risk of heart disease. Chocolate also contains small amounts of an amino acid that helps the brain create serotonin, and makes us feel great. It stimulates the brain to release dopamine, which can give you pleasure, motivation, and a sense of satisfaction. They say that eating chocolate can improve overall mental, emotional and physical well-being.
And, as Christian Valdes believes, “there are very few things we need in life to live: air, water, food and, of course, chocolate.
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To learn more about CMV Txokolat, visit their website www.cmvtxokolat.com, or follow them @CMVTxokolatOfficial in IG, or CMV Txokolat on FB.
You can purchase CMV Txokolat from Grab Food, Foodpanda, One World Deli (San Juan, SM MOA, Jupiter St., Makati City), Frankie & Friends Molito, Mitsukoshi, SM Aura, Power Plant, Manila Polo Club, Lazada (Beauty Scout), and Joel’s Place Proscenium.