Malagos Chocolate,made from cacao beans grown in Davao City, Philippines, was recognized as Heirloom Cacao. The said recognition was from Heirloom Ca­cao Preservation (HCP) Fund based in the US, a non-profit organization.

As cited in the report of Manila Bulletin, Charita Puentespina, founder of Malagos Chocolates, imparted that a designated heirloom cacao entails high standard.Flavor-wise, there must be a bal­ance, uniqueness, complexity and clar­ity all at once − a unique flavor profile that commands a premium in the world of fine foods.

Accordingly, Malagos chocolate is a Trinitario variety of cacao. It is a cross-pollinated variety from Criollo, high-quality bean and Forastero, a variety which is not susceptible to diseases. Thus, Trinitario is a high yielding and not receptive to diseases (Barry Callebaut, 2019). Hence, the chocolate of Malagos is deemed to be a heirloom cacao.

“The heirloom cacaos are touted as the foundation of great chocolate and can only be ac­corded with such recognition because of their “historic, cultural, botanical, geographic, and flavor value,” Puentespina said.

HCP annouced Malagos recognition last January 12,2019 during a ceremony in San Francisco. The organization is supported by the US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Services.

Respectively, various samplings with HCP were undergone by Puentespina for a year to comply such certification.

Malagos Chocolate

According to the report of Manila Bulletin, “Charita Puentespina, founder of Puentespina Farms, said their cacao grown in Calinan District located in Southern Philippines is the first in the country and the 16th in the world to hold such distinction, among them Bolivia, Ecuador, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Belize, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Tanzania, and Madagascar.”

Significantly, the said locally grown Cacao beans from Davao City were already known globally.

Sources:

Beans of famed Malagos chocolate recognized as ‘Heirloom cacao’

Theobroma cacao, the food of the gods