Various chocolate notes tickled the senses of shoppers at SM City Davao during the Davao Chocolate Festival last October 12-15 at the Annex Event Center.
Twenty-four exhibitors offered chocolate products ranging from chocolate desserts to drinks, chocolate liqueur to pralines, as well as wellness products with cacao butter.
Exciting chocolate food impressions were introduced by newcomers Cacao Culture, Chocoloco Inc, Auro Chocolate, Capt Du’s Cacao, MS3 Agri-ventures, Johanns, Milky, The Bright Side, Confex & Co., Sweets of Tirzah, Comval Tropical Harvest, Ballovar Creations and Yolks. Davao Chocolate Festival mainstays The Chocolate Bean, Malagos Chocolate, Cidami, Rosario Davao Artisanal Chocolates, Cacao De Davao, Puratos, Aromacology, NutraRich, Fedco, Chocolate de San Isidro, and Lara Mia will also offered Davao’s favorite chocolate treats.
“We are very happy to be part of the growth of the cacao industry here in the region. The Davao Chocolate Festival is SM’s way of helping local growers, processors as well as starting entrepreneurs by giving them an avenue to showcase their products, ”SM City Davao mall manager Lynette Angala-Lopez shares.
A project of SM City Davao and the Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao, Inc. the Davao Chocolate Festival brings together the region’s best cacao growers and processors. This year, the project is also supported by the Department of Trade and Industry as well as the city government of Davao through the City Agriculturist’s Office.
The event launch was graced by the City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, DTI Cacao Industry Coordinator Edwin Banquerigo and the chocolate queen from Cebu Raquel Choa. Leading the ceremonial breaking of the giant chocolate were SM City Davao Mall Manager Lynette Lopez, Assistant Mall Manager Engr. Warren Rey Bautista and CIDAMI executive director Val Turtur.
Apart from the chocolate market, a cooking demo was conducted by the Marco Polo Hotel Davao Chef Joseph Milgo and Hernard Ampon prepared a special dessert treat using the locally grown and produced tablea.
Lecture series on growing, processing and packaging were also scheduled throughout the festival dates. Kids also discovered the sweet chocolate journey from beans to bars in the kiddie tours.