Malagos Chocolate facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | October 13, 1853 |
| Founders | Roberto and Charita Puentespina |
| Headquarters | Davao City, Philippines |
| Products | Confectionery Liquor |
Malagos Chocolate is a famous company from the Philippines. They make delicious chocolate right from the cacao beans! This means they handle every step, from growing the beans to making the final chocolate bar. Their home is in Davao City.
Contents
The Story of Malagos Chocolate
The journey of Malagos Chocolate began in 2003. That's when Roberto and Charita Puentespina, the company's founders, rented some farmland. This land was in Malagos, a part of Davao City, and it had many cacao trees.
Charita Puentespina worked hard to make the farm healthy again. Soon, they could harvest cacao pods from the trees. She used these harvested cacao beans to make tablea. This is a traditional Filipino chocolate made by roasting the beans over a fire, then grinding and shaping them. People found this chocolate had a wonderfully smooth taste.
Growing with Mars, Incorporated
In December 2007, a big chocolate company called Mars, Incorporated reached out to the Puentespinas. Mars has a team that helps make cocoa farming sustainable. Together, they set up the Mars Cocoa Development Center. Here, the Puentespinas learned even better ways to grow cacao.
Starting the Company
This partnership helped the Malagos Agri-Ventures Corporation get started in October 2012. The company first began making single-origin cocoa liquor. This means the cocoa comes from one specific place. Malagos Chocolate officially launched to the public in June 2013. After that, they started making many other tasty chocolate products.
Malagos Chocolate Products
Malagos Chocolate grows its own cacao beans. Their farm is located at the bottom of Mount Talomo. It's even certified by the Bureau of Plant Industry! They also handle all the steps themselves. This includes fermenting, drying, sorting, and roasting the cacao beans. Their chocolate-making facility is about 350 meters (1,148 feet) above sea level.
The Best Cacao Beans
Malagos uses high-quality cacao beans. They are a type called Trinitario. This kind of bean is a mix of two other types, Forastero and Criollo. This blend gives their chocolate a special flavor.
Helping Other Farmers
The company also buys cacao beans from about 100 small cocoa farmers in the Davao area. Malagos also helps these farmers by giving them cacao seeds and young plants. This support reaches farmers all over Mindanao. In October 2017, Malagos Chocolate joined other brands at a big event. It was called "Salon du Chocolat" in Paris, France.
