Considered to be high in fat and calories, chocolate is shunned like a plague by the figure conscious and people who believe in everything they hear about the sweet stuff.
Contrary to popular belief, studies have shown that eating chocolate is actually beneficial both physically and psychologically.
In a more technical term, aside from its being diuretic, chocolate contains chemicals that help the body release endorphins, serotonin, and phenylethylamine —body chemicals that uplift the moods of people. In short, it makes people happy.
Hershey’s Philippines Inc., makers of the world famous Hershey’s kisses and milk chocolate bar, recently hosted a press luncheon at Via Mare in Greenbelt 1, Makati, which gave the press a taste of the mood–uplifting and "orgasmic" effect of chocolate indulgence.
And chocolate indulgence, it was!
To fit the occasion, Glenda Barreto, owner/founder of Via Mare, veered away from her traditional home-cooking style and prepared a special menu (read: From appetizer to dessert) peppered and sauced with Hershey’s chocolate.
A menu, which according to our soft–spoken chef, was a "cinch" to make.
"I’ve been using chocolate as an ingredient to some of my dishes even before," explained Glenda.
"Chocolate is a versatile ingredient. Aside from it being a dessert, it can also be used to enhance the flavor of your dish. But only a few people here are that adventurous when it comes to trying out a dish with chocolate ingredient. So it is not quite as popular here as it is in some Latin countries such as Mexico and Argentina."
Popular or not, we got our own helping of dishes with chocolate cuts, grains, and sauces.
For starters, we had seafood on salad greens with balsamic and Hershey’s syrup vinagigrette; roasted aubergine cream with cheese croutons sprinkled with Hershey’s cocoa.
Main course consisted of beef tenderloin in Hershey’s syrup sauce.
The chocolate indulgence didn’t stop from there. Some of us even braved the desserts (yes, desserts!) which included Hershey’s Symphony souffle top with Kisses, Hershey’s dark chocolate decadent with cream, fruit fondue, crispy crepe with fresh mango and Hershey’s syrup, Hershey’s Symphony coated ice cream, and chocolate mousse with slivers of milk chocolate with choco syrup dusted with Hershey’s cocoa powder.
While savoring these choco treats, we had a chat with Jerry Santiago, regional GM for Hershey’s Asia, who shared with us myths, history, facts and some quirky habits of Filipinos when it comes to eating Hershey’s chocolate.
According to Jerry, candy-maker Milton S. Hershey of Pennsylvania, founded the Hershey’s Chocolate Company in 1894.
Milton’s search for a chocolate coating for caramels gave birth to a multi-million dollar company which now owns the largest chocolate factory in the world —The Hershey Pennsylvania Plant, a town named after its founder, and a trust company that funds Milton’s philanthropic efforts.
Having left no heir, parts of Milton’s earnings go to the Hershey Trust Company which subsidies the Hershey Industrial School now known as the Milton Hershey School. The school provides health, education and welfare for children.
Currently, the company produces a wide array of chocolates that cater to every chocolate whim and fancy including the most famous "kiss" of all, the Hershey’s Kisses.
These chocolate kisses have been blown all over the world and became a Hershey trademark (aside of course, from the milk chocolate bar).
In the Philippines, Kisses is in fact "the Filipinos no. 1 consumed Hershey’s," according to Jerry Santiago.
An average of 208,000 Kisses are actually consumed by Filipinos on a daily basis.
Jerry attributes the love for these bite–sized conical milk chocolate candy to a Filipino trait locally termed "hating–kapatid" or equal sharing.
"Filipinos love to share and the size of the Kisses are more convenient for everyone to share them with," shared Jerry. "Just place them on a table and everyone can grab a handful or so."
For the diet–conscious, Kisses is popular because it suggests "portion–controlled" consumption.
As for the balikbayans, a pack of Kisses is perfect for pasalubong since it’s light and handy. Besides, it creates an illusion, especially for the kids, of having too many in a single pack. Everybody happy!
Recently, Hershey’s Food Corporation changed its name to Hershey’s The Hershey Company. The shift coincides to its goal as not only providing more affordable but quality confections to the market, but also to become categorized as a snack industry.
