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Christian Valdes has fond memories of chocolate. It began with summers spent in the Philippines, sneaking into his grandmother’s room at two in the morning to eat her stash of imported sweets. “[My sister and I] would go to town [on it] and she’d just restock [every time we’d come back],” he recalled.

This was followed by attendance at the high school behind the See’s Candies factory in San Francisco. “It was torture being in PE and smelling chocolate being made,” he laughed.

With such indelible memories of chocolate, it comes as no surprise Christian has turned this indulgent treat into a career, founding CMV Txokolat, which is regularly recognized as one of the best in Manila. “You know how your parents would tell you not to play with your food growing up?” he asked. “Now, I have a job doing exactly that.”

CMV Txokolat, known for incorporating local ingredients into its chocolate bars and pralines, came a few years after Christian immersed himself in the technicalities of cacao. Make no mistake, the bean is well-loved and familiar, but as chocolatiers know, also requires plenty of study to master. To make “good chocolate,” Christian considers a variety of factors: a balance of flavors, textures, and proper tempering techniques.

There is also the cacao bean itself: its age, its environment, and its genetic cluster. “I have ADHD but what kept me focused on chocolate for over 12 years is the fact that chocolate is so intense, it’s so different. It keeps on changing,” Christian said. “When you think you know something, there comes a new technique, a new flavor.”

Christian – who enjoys a rich cultural heritage of Filipino, Spanish, and Chinese legacies – first dabbled in professional chocolate-making while in the Philippines. Moving here for his studies, he met up with a friend who had been interning at The Chocolate Room in the Mandarin Oriental. “He brought over some chocolate and showed me how to make it, and it just developed from there,” he said.

He began making his own chocolate and distributing creations to friends and family. “At the time, I didn’t know about the powers of the titas of Manila,” he joked. “[Through word of mouth], my chocolates became a business. I started doing orders for them and then Manila Polo Club reached out and I started doing chocolate for them too.”

After finalizing his paperwork and officially moving to the country, Christian dove headfirst into the industry, which at the time, consisted of just a few major players; these included Theo & Philo and Manila Chocolatier. “Of course, today, we also have Auro Chocolate and Malagos,” he added.

Yet, despite the scarcity of chocolatiers, Christian came to realize that the industry was more welcoming than he anticipated. “It isn’t competitive or as toxic,” he noted. “When [the chocolatiers] get together to talk about chocolate – about the farmers and the cacao situation – everyone brings their own chocolate and it becomes kind of like a chocolate boodle fight.”

On his part, Christian has brought and created some very unique ones of his own. There was the one he made in collaboration with Chef Josh Boutwood some time ago, which remains one of his favorites to this day. “It was a salted vinegar, chicharron chocolate bar,” he said. “We added chicharron to dark chocolate, and even made our own sinamak vinegar powder for it.”

Another fun one was his gin bomb creation. Inspired by the beloved Pinoy cocktail that mixed pomelo juice with gin, Christian sourced pomelos from Davao and added local gin to create an incredible bar that imbibed the Filipino spirit.

“I grew up in the States and so I didn’t really know much about Filipino culture. When I came here and started learning about it, I realized that local ingredients played well with one another,” he shared. “Now, we make it a point to incorporate Filipino ingredients, places, and memories into our recipes.”

CMV Txokolat’s current menu includes bars with flavors like mango and cashew, pomelo, and pinipig. His pralines also utilize Filipino ingredients, playing around with items such as gumamela, minted calamansi, santol, and Barako coffee. One of their bestselling chocolates is called “Binondo,” which mixes anise, clove, and cinnamon with red tea.

“When I shared the chocolate to my friend, Rachel, she said that it reminded her of ang pao, like this is what an ang pao would probably translate into if it were chocolate,” he laughed.

Ultimately, Christian’s career has taught him that he’ll probably never get bored in the Philippines. “If you grew up in the States like I did, you’ll realize that the Philippines is like the wild, wild west, so if you’re looking for thrill, action, and excitement – it’s here.”

Check out CMV Txokolat's website and follow them on Instagram.

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