Chocolate indulgence to the max

It was like a scene out of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie. A crowd of curious onlookers stand close by. Two cute mascots wave and shake hands with people. Photographers happily click away. It was just a press lunch, but members of the media couldn’t help but feel like winning a gold ticket to a tour of Willy Wonka’s factory. If the invite was any indication, the "Choco Loco Fondue Lunch" at the Via Mare restaurant in Greenbelt 1 was the place to be for true-blue chocolate lovers. Certainly, those who attended the event had a Hershey’s overload – the good kind, that is, and one that would remain in their taste buds for a long time.

Not surprising since the unique lunch was one memorable event in itself. Prepared by food connoisseur Glenda Barretto, the menu had chocolate in every course, from salad to dessert.

The balsamic vinaigrette for the seafood salad greens had an earthier flavor due to the Hershey’s syrup. The mild sweetness of the chocolate syrup ably tempered the acidity of the balsamic vinegar. Personally, we never thought seafood would go so well with chocolate.

Another standout was the roasted aubergine cream with cheese croutons and sprinkled with Hershey’s cocoa. It was love at first sip, it seemed. The roasted eggplant and the slightly bitter taste of Hershey’s cocoa did a pleasant fox trot in our mouth. There was just a hint of both ingredients but when combined, they made an unforgettable impression.

Now, the beef tenderloin topped with a rich Hershey’s syrup sauce was an exotic sight. The dark brown dollop reminds one of dinuguan sauce, but the similarity ends there. Nobody around the table had an inkling that chocolate would, again, go smoothly well with beef. Chocolate has a way of enhancing the meaty flavor of the beef, which was cooked medium rare. The grittiness of real chocolate in the syrup also added to texture to the whole dish.

Dessert wasn’t to be missed so, while most of the guests were already full, nobody dared leave the table for fear of missing the highlight – a six-item dessert menu filled with every Hershey’s goodies imaginable. Although many people were expecting a fountain of chocolate to be set up at the table, the rest were betting on a traditional fondue of fruits. The latter won. Clear favorites were the crispy crepe with fresh mango and Hershey’s syrup, the Hershey’s Symphony soufflé topped with Kisses, the Hershey’s Symphony coated ice cream, and the sinfully delicious chocolate mousse with slivers of milk chocolate with Hershey’s syrup dusted with Hershey’s cocoa powder. The lineup of chocolate desserts was a dieter’s nightmare but people present at the lunch seemed to have suffered temporary amnesia and indulged to their hearts’ – and tummies’ – content. At that moment, everybody was after the experience.

And experience is definitely what Hershey’s offers for a nation that consumes half a million packs of Hershey’s Kisses per month. Since the ’70s, Filipinos have had an enduring love affair with Hershey’s. With the nation’s sweet tooth, what could be a more appropriate pastime than munching on a chocolate bar, or sharing Kisses – the chocolate, not the act – with loved ones during special occasions, slurping on sundaes generously topped with chocolate syrup on hot summer days, or sipping the heartwarming chocolate drink on cold mornings. In all these, Hershey’s seems to be a favorite companion.

According to Hershey’s head Jerry Santiago, the Philippines is one of the two biggest markets of Hershey’s in the Asia Pacific region. Japan is the other. "Our Hershey’s chocolates are all imported from the US and Canada. We just do a little repacking here to suit the local market’s needs," says Santiago, who is the regional general manager for Hershey’s and president and general manager for the Philippines and Japan. Hershey’s Kisses, he notes, remains to be the best seller in the country although other Hershey’s products, including the plain milk chocolate and milk chocolate with almonds, follow closely behind.

As every balikbayan and frequent traveler would probably surmise, Hershey’s remains the No. 1 brand of choice at Duty Free Philippines. The Lifestyle staff of the Philippine STAR should know for it’s our favorite office pasalubong when any of us come back from a coverage abroad.

According to Hershey’s Asean Duty Free head Lilibeth Concepcion Cruz, the brand offers regular promos at Duty Free Shops, which allows them to win prizes ranging from appliances to back-to-school items, and even a mini iPod.

Santiago explains the popularity of Hershey’s among Filipinos by citing its four unique segments. For the so-called portion experience, there are the bites, which is "very Filipino because it involves sharing."

This is where Hershey’s popularity comes in. He says that it’s easy for Pinoys to share Kisses. All they have to do is scoop out a handful of Kisses and give these to their companions and even strangers.

The second segment is the bar. These come in the form of Hershey’s molded bars, which offer a unique experience to every chocolate lover. "Some will always go for the first square, while some will keep the last square for themselves and give the rest to friends. Different folks, different strokes. What we’ve noticed is that people have formed different rituals when it comes to eating chocolate bars," Santiago says.

Another unique segment to Hershey’s is the "enrobing." Imagine S’mores’ marshmallow and Graham Crackers chocolate bar being further coated with chocolate syrup. That’s what enrobing means. Imagine your teeth sinking into the soft chocolate layer to reach the gooey marshmallow layer and, finally, savoring the crunchy texture of the crackers. Isn’t that quite a pleasant, stress-busting experience?

For the clincher, the panned chocolate experience is for the absolute choco fan. Here, chocolate is coated with more chocolate and it doesn’t get better than that. If that doesn’t make you loco over choco, we don’t know what will.

In the Philippines, Santiago says women prefer Hershey’s Kisses more because of the portion-control. Men, on the other hand, prefer chocolate bars and buy chocolates on Christmas.

Santiago lets us in on a little secret. If you want to know the difference between real and not-so-pure chocolate, just put it on a table under normal temperature. Pure chocolate melts easily under the heat; those with vegetable oil don’t – and they taste different as well. "Real chocolate has more cocoa butter," he says.

Thanks to the Hershey’s Pennsylvania headquarters’ technology center, the company is always up-to-date with current marketing needs. At the moment, Hershey’s is said to be the biggest buyer of almonds in the world.

For macadamia nut fans, the good news is Hershey’s recently bought the Mona Loa company. Just imagine the possibilities of a marriage between macadamia and chocolate.

They’re also looking closely into the healthy snacks category. If there’s a high demand among health buffs, we’d be seeing Hershey’s health bars soon. Are those wide smiles we’re seeing on diabetics?

More and more, the US company’s research and development category are trying to find ways to make chocolate indulgence more affordable, and thus, more accessible to a wider market, without sacrificing the taste that Milton Hershey developed in 1900.

At the moment, Hershey’s is serving 1,300 orphans in Pennsylvania and providing them with 1,400 teachers. Funding comes from the earnings the company generates from the sales of Hershey’s from all over the world.

Beyond the decadence, the sinful indulgence of rich-tasting chocolate, it’s evident that Hershey’s is not a mere chocolate factory. It just doesn’t satisfy the stomach, it also makes hearts swell with joy because it is helping children who once didn’t have any future. Certainly, it’s a chocolate factory with a heart. And we’re quite sure Willy Wonka will be quite pleased.