Our Solihiya Chocolate is now available online at SarapNow and Etsy .

“The best chocolate starts with the best cacao beans.”

- Dylan Butterbaugh, Manoa Chocolate

 

The best cacao beans come from select cacao varieties grown in well managed farms with post-harvest facilities that use the best fermentation and drying techniques.

Landowners and small farmers in the Mount Banahaw area in Luzon, with the encouragement of the Department of Agriculture,  have thousands of cacao trees planted and integrated within existing coconut plantations. Noticeable however, is that very few farmers are involved in cacao post-harvest activities aimed at producing fine flavored cacao beans.

Our Mission

We envision to produce high quality fine flavored cacao beans grown from farms in Liliw, Laguna, Philippines and neighboring towns at the foot of Mount Banahaw. By working directly with cacao farmers we ensure sustainability, transparency, environmental responsibility and a level of quality favored by craft chocolate makers.

Fine flavor means that our beans are carefully fermented and dried so that chocolates made from them have an exceptional flavor that is unique to its origin.

 

Where are we?

Liliw is situated at the foot of Mount Banahaw approximately 14° 8' north of the equator in the island of Luzon and elevation is estimated at 265 meters or 861 feet above sea level. It is two hours away by car, southeast from Metro Manila.

Today, the town is well known as the Tsinelas (slippers) capital of the Philippines.

In the past cacao trees, together with the more popular lanzones trees, were commonly grown around houses in the town proper. With more people and their need for more space, most of these trees are now gone. A few of these heirloom cacao trees thrive in the outskirts of town and it is our goal to preserve them.