By alastair mcindoe, philippines correspondent

The Philippines probably does not spring to mind as one of the world's great sweet spots for chocolate. But a local culinary gem, a deliciously velvety drink called chocolate de batirol, is finally gaining wider recognition.

Editors at the popular US-based travel website IgoUgo.com recently compiled a list of top destinations for chocolate lovers. Chocolate de batirol - batirol is the wooden whisk that stirs the chocolate - got the Philippines a mention, alongside the chocolate havens of Switzerland and Belgium.

The mix of ingredients and the way chocolate de batiro is made - by twirling a wooden whisk in a copper pitcher - make it outstanding.

Unlike a Starbucks Frappuccino, chocolate de batriol is no brash newcomer on the coffeehouse scene. This rich beverage dates back to Spanish colonial times in the Philippines, first getting a mention in the early 18th century.

Up in the rugged Cordilleras highlands in the northern Philippines, Choco-Late de Batirol at Camp John Hay near Baguio City is one of a clutch of restaurants and cafes countrywide trying to revive the tradition of chocolate de batirol.

'This is slow food,' says Choco-Late's owner Jojo Castro to highlight the difference between this beverage and modern fare like fast food. 'We roast the cocoa beans and prepare the chocolate in traditional copper pitchers called tsokolateras, mixing in ground peanuts to give the drink a slightly grainy texture.'

At Arama, a rustic-looking cafe in Manila's smart Fort Bonifacio district, manager Gina Yambot uses organically grown cocoa from Bicol Island in the central Philippines for her brew, which is mixed as a paste with hot water, fresh cream, ground peanuts and brown sugar in the tsokolatera.

'There are many of these pitchers handed down through the generations, but most people don't know what they are for,' says Ms Yambot. She dissolves the mixture in hot water by twirling the batirol between the palms of her hand.

Connoisseurs say it is the mix of ingredients and preparation that makes this cup of hot chocolate outstanding.

And the taste? The drink has a mildly nutty taste with a hint of bitter dark chocolate. And it is so rich that a small demitasse cup is the proper serving.

The fuss that goes into making chocolate de batirol certainly gives it an old-world aura that harks back to this country's rich Hispanic culinary heritage.

Spanish friars made the drink popular. The country's national hero Jose Rizal mentions it in Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not), his great novel of Spanish colonial repression published in 1887.

Food writer and artist Claude Tayag makes traditional batirols from native narra wood and aluminium tsokolateras.

He says: 'Filipinos are taking a greater interest in their culinary roots. There's a romantic ideal of doing things the old way on special family occasions.'

Artist Gilda Cordero-Fernando, 78, says chocolate de batirol was a common household drink when she was a child in the 1930s. But it was overtaken by coffee because of American influence.

'The secret is knowing your chocolate,' she says. 'The best comes from the provinces and is often made by small family businesses.'

Visitors can buy high-grade drinking cocoa in the form of rock-solid blocks of cocoa powder called tablea. It usually comes in a roll of 12 tablets weighing around 130g.

Delis in many five-star hotels here sell gourmet quality tablea. Cheaper brands can be found in the remote corners of most supermarkets - a sure sign that hot chocolate made the old-fashioned way is still a rarity.

amcindoe@yahoo.com

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

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