Chocolates from home: Theo & Philo Artisan Chocolates

When I was in high school, I tried eating green mango with chocolate and liked it.  My friends thought I was crazy.    I don't think they'd be thinking the same thing when they try Theo & Philo artisan chocolates.   Theo & Philo is distinct from other artisan chocolates because of its infusion of Filipino flavors, and no wonder because these specialty chocolates are Philippine-made.

The Theo & Philo story extols its homegrown ingredients; cacao comes from Davao, while the sugar is from Bacolod.  It's founder Philo Chua says:

"...each batch of chocolate is produced in small quantities (actually, it would be "micro" in industry standards) and overseen personally by people instead of machines. We take great care, time and effort to ensure that each step starting from the selection of the cacao bean to the final step of molding and packing, we are only offering the best we can offer."


Ching and I tried two unique flavors, Dark Chocolate with Siling Labuyo (Chili) and the best-selling Green Mango and Salt.

I love Theo & Philo's packaging
*thanks to Ching for the photos

Proudly Philippine-made

Don't expect a big chunk of chocolate though, as we did when we saw the website photos.  Each bar is only 1.3 oz but totally worth the foodie experience. When I first took a bite from my Dark Chocolate with Siling Labuyo I was thinking, what's so special about it? That is, until I swallowed and felt the slight kick from the chili.  The spice would leave your throat with a slight burning sensation that's -- you might find this weird, but I can't put it any other way--  surprisingly pleasant.

Any choco-lover would appreciate Theo & Philo 

I can also understand why the Green Mango and Salt is a favorite.  Even though I'm not a green mango fan, it became my choco choice too!   Believe me, green mango goes very well with dark chocolate. Ching and another officemate also gave it a thumbs-up.  So that's 3/3 choco-loving girls...a statistic boyfriends and husbands out there should seriously consider.

If you're looking for a unique gift, why not grab all eight flavors of Theo & Philo?

Theo & Philo is available in Green Mango and Salt, Labuyo, Organic Barako, Pili & Pinipig, Milk Chocolate, 70% Dark Chocolate and Calamansi flavors.  According to their Facebook site, there's also Dark Chocolate and Pandesal, although we didn't see this flavor when we went to the ECHO Store, Podium. Each 38g bar sells for P95.  Other stores are listed in the Theo & Philo website.

Read more on Theo & Philo:

For love and chocolate - The Philippine Star

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Breakfast Sunday: YangChow, Dried Pusit, and Burong Kamias

 I love Sundays. My mom cooks more food.

Pickled kamias, crispy squid, and Yang Chow fried rice

Our oversupply of kamias (Averrhoa bilimbi; bilimbi; cucumber tree) made for very good and very sour buro (pickles).  We have a kamias tree at home, so if you want some of the fruit, you're welcome to come over if you're my friend.  haha. The kamias was the perfect companion to crispy dried pusit (squid) and Pinoy Yang Chow.

home-made pickled kamias

Yang Chow fried rice recipe:

1. Sautee garlic and onion in oil. We love lots of onion and garlic in our fried rice.
2. Add ham and Chorizo Macau (if you want, you can add roast pork, peas, shrimps, etc.).  If you're going to add shrimps, stir fry until they turn pink and add in your roast pork after.
3.  Mix one egg (or more if you wish) into the toppings.
4.  Add left-over rice and mix it all up.
5. Serve while hot.

Burong kamias recipe:

1.  Cut kamias in half, lengthwise.  Place in a container.
2. Add water into container. How much is up to you. The kamias will release some water, so you can expect your buro to have more liquid later on. I don't mind too much water though.  I pour the brine into my rice and it makes me want to eat more.
3.  Layer with salt (amount depends on your desired saltiness). Pepper flakes are optional, but I recommend it.
4.  Let sit for 24 hours or more before putting in the ref.  My mom made this batch last Thursday, and we ate it Sunday.  The kamias should be soft (but still with a bit of crispness) and very sour, with a hint of spiciness (if you added pepper).
5.  Eat with anything fried.

I had three servings of breakfast today.  If you have a taste for Filipino food and this breakfast was served to you , you'll probably have more than I did. =)

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