What does Cocoa in Dumaguete taste like?

Dumaguete Chocolate Breakfast

Cocoa is not really a primary product in Dumaguete. Based from the limited research I got from the relatives and house helpers of our host, Dumaguete cocoa is harvested from the farms of Negros Oriental.


I always wonder where are the cocoa farms here in the Philippines because I know cocoa is a not an easy plant to keep. Unfortunately, I did not see the chocolate wrapper nor the store where this Dumaguete cocoa is sold. This only means that I have to return to Dumaguete for chocolate explorations! 




For this chocolate journey, only my personal cocoa experience will be reviewed:


1. We eat first with our eyes. As you can see in the photo below, Dumaguete cocoa looks like dark chocolate.. The heavy chocolate color on a white plate is really attractive to any Chocoholic's eyes. I can see by swirling my cup a little that the Dumaguete chocolate drink has a thick consistency.

Dumaguete Chocolate uncooked

2. I smell my chocolates before I eat it. I can tell from the smell how dark it is and how fresh it is. Now this Dumaguete cocoa smells like really good chocolate. The Dumaguete cocoa smells very earthy and solid. As for the freshness, it smells like something raw produced by the soil like vegetables picked from the garden.

Fresh Mango and Budbod Kabog

3. Then we tasted the Dumaguete cocoa. Boy, it's hot. I burned my tongue. But I didn't stop drinking because of that. Patience is a virtue and when it finally cooled a little I tried it again. Dumaguete cocoa has an earthy chocolate taste as I suspected. And if you cannot imagine what I'm saying this is what I want you to do: the next time you go to the forest or any place with lots of plants and fresh air, breathe in that air with your mouth. That's the earthy taste. Or the next time,when you have the chance to go to a vegetable garden, pick a fruit or a vegetable, wash it a little and eat it raw. Somewhere between the acids of the fresh produce you get a hint of earth. Or if your not too strict about cleanliness, just wipe the fruit with a cloth. Now that's the earthy taste I'm talking about. I had that same earthy taste sensation when I eat vegetables from our backyard garden or when I eat fruits straight from the tree when I was just a younger.


4. Finally, the texture is velvety because of the thick consistency. Dumaguete cocoa does not just flow down your throat. I felt like I need to suck it in with some air and feel it course all the way down my throat. Then as it travels down your esophagus you get a burst of chocolate as it warms your body nicely. It would be a perfect drink on a rainy day.

Budbod Kabog

The Dumaguete cocoa drink has that earthy taste so drinking this cocoa gives you that feeling of back in the old days when everything was green and fresh. When kids still play on the road and its alright to eat fruits straight from the tree without somebody giving you a lecture on sanitation.


And the good thing is I am having that experience now in the year 2011. Amazing isn't it that there are still things in life that can remind you of those feelings when you were still a child.

Dumaguete Chocolate Drink

I only wanted to drink the cocoa but I have a busy day ahead of me so I ate also budbod kabog or what we know as suman or rice pasty. There are fresh mangoes also so the three gave me this soft, chewy and juicy texture in my mouth. 


The next time I'm in Dumaguete, I will look for the source of the Dumaguete cocoa and hopefully I might be even invited to visit its production. Now that is one Dumaguete cocoa journey!

Dumaguete Cocoa with Fresh Mango and Budbod Kabog

Have you tried drinking cocoa from Dumaguete? If you have, please share to us your experience and let's compare notes.