Cola Cao and Filipinos
I unreservedly give credit to T., my law school classmate and good friend, for introducing me to Cola Cao, that Spanish chocolate energy beverage which helped fuel all those days and night we spent reviewing for our exams – and ultimately The Bar – so many long years ago.
He also started me on my road to gastronomy, but that’s another story for another day.
The best way to prepare a mug of Cola Cao is to first add two (or three) teaspoonfulls of the product into your favored drinking vessel and slowly adding warm milk, while stirring vigorously, to evenly dissolve the powder. Mixing Cola Cao even with room temperature milk will only result in clumps of powder floating on top, producing a foamy and ultimately unsatisfactory drink. Want cold Cola Cao, you say? Heat half a mug of milk, use that to dissolve the powder as directed above, and later add cold milk.
Cola Cao used to be widely available in Metro Manila supermarkets until the mid-1990’s when they disappeared from the shelves. Now, Annalyn tells me that a Philippine food purveyor has once again commenced distributing this excellent drink.
Did you know that Cola Cao is also produced in China, where it goes by the name of Gao-le-Gao 高乐高?
Annalyn also said that the same company is also selling Filipinos, those Spanish chocolate biscuits made controversial by a Filipino politician who claimed that they slurred the Filipino race – brown on the outside but white inside.
I have yet to find out how much these two Spanish products cost in the Philippines but in Spain itself, and in Barcelona to be exact, Cola Cao in the 450 g. container costs about EUR 2.50, while a roll of Filipinos costs about EUR 1.30.
Didn’t know the history of Cola Cao, have yet to try it. Anyway Paul, do tell us how it went….if and when you get to try and buy the products.:)
I called Barcino Gourmet just a few minutes ago and discovered that a package of Filipinos costs PHP 150 while a 490 g. container of Cola Cao Original costs PHP 350… twice as much as what they originally cost in Spain. The shop – which apparenly doubles as a restaurant as well – is open daily from 10 AM to 1 AM.
I was actually contemplating bringing home a 5 kg. container of Cola Cao pero natauhan ako. I also wanted to bring home a whole jamon serrano leg pero sobrang mahal at saka wala akong permit galing sa Agriculture department.
Do try Cola Cao, Annalyn.
this is interesting. I read the wikipedia link and i love siazon’s comment about Austrians not complaining about small sausages being called “vienna sausages”.
I’d love to try drinking taht cola cao and eat Filipinos.
Sa totoo lang I would have never heard of Filipinos until that so-called “racist” flap. Anyway, the milk chocolate ones taste best, the white chocolate ones taste worst.
On the other hand, Cola Cao really tastes good. Use full cream milk (I use skim) for better flavor.