McVitie’s: The sweet biscuit with staying power

With more than 120 years of history and still counting, and after other digestive biscuits have come and gone, everyone can count on McVitie’s to stay and serve your favorite digestives. Its success definitely didn’t happen overnight, but thanks to Robert McVitie and his father William, we are now all enjoying a century- old recipe that has been trusted by millions of people around the world including the royals of United Kingdom.

The father-and-son tandem opened a bake shop in Rose Street, Edinburgh, which in time gave Robert all the honed skills and a reputation as one of the better bakers in the city. With that he was able to open more shops and expanded their business. From that point, he passed his family legacy to his sons and sent them to school to study bakery.

Robert McVitie Jr. continued with the family business and focused more on developing biscuits because it was more in demand during that era which was characterized by maritime explorations. It was also during that time that Charles Price joined the business, making the partnership McVitie & Price a household name in Edinburgh.

Not long after, Alexander Grant entered the picture and produced the first and original “Digestive” biscuit, the same original recipe that is still enjoyed today. The rest is as they say, is history.

Aside from being the United Kingdom’s favorite tea time snack, McVitie’s received the royal seal of approval in 1893 when the company was commissioned to bake the wedding cake of Queen Mary and King George V. From then on, McVitie’s has been part of British royal tradition by baking cakes and other sweets for their national festivities. And just recently, McVitie’s added another feather to its cap when it was commissioned to make Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton’s chocolate biscuit bridegroom’s cake.

The health benefit in McVitiie’s Original Digestives must have been also a big factor in its becoming a long time trusted household brand in many countries. Proper digestion and fiber rich food that flushes out toxins really do a lot of wonders to most people, keeping away sickness.

Other variants such as McVitie’s Wholewheat  Digestives offer a healthier option with more fiber which is mostly favored by health buffs and those who are in a fitness program. Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Digestives are made for those with a sweet tooth in mind and let them enjoy the benefits of a healthy and sumptuous snack.

And compared to other biscuit snacks, McVitie’s has fewer calories and contains less fructose corn syrup. It was made even healthier without all the artificial ingredients, cholesterol, and transfats.  Each bite is packed with fiber which is very much needed to gain better health.

Now, with a variant for the young ones, McVitie’s Kids which has the biscuits shaped in their favorite cartoon characters, the digestive formula that has been enjoyed by many for centuries can now be enjoyed by everyone, no matter what age.

With all the rich history and rich goodness in every yummy bite from McVitie’s Digestives, what else is there to look for from a snack? Simple – just look for the name “McVitie’s” on the label and you can’t go wrong.

For more about McVitie’s Digestives, visit www.mcvities.com, or click “Like” on its Facebook Page www.facebook.com/mcvitiesdigestives.

An exciting new way for kids to enjoy snack time

Are you looking for a new snack to offer to your kids?

Knick Knacks, the brand well-known for their chocolate coated biscuits, now comes with an exciting new way for kids to enjoy snack time. Knick Knacks X-Blast is the newest chocolate milk drink that is set to tickle every kid’s taste buds. And this is one snack upgrade that any mommy should not miss.

In surveys conducted this yearby the manufacturer and distributor of Knick Knacks, Delfi Foods, Inc., found that Knick Knacks X-Blast is well received by both mommies and kids, for several reasons.

Taste is definitely one of the factors that really captured the respondents’ attention. “Unlike other brands, X-Blast has just the right amount of sweetness in it,” one of the mommies said, “which means, I won’t have to worry about my kids taking in too much sugar.” For the kids, it was the reeal taste of chocolate that made them excited about the product. “I enjoy how the chocolate taste stays in my mouth,” a kid said.

Not only that the kids will have a real treat with Knick Knacks X-Blast, they will be also getting nutrients with every sip since it is packed with vitamins and minerals that will keep every kid going. Knick Knacks X-Blast also has milk that can keep every kid’s bones strong and healthy. Mommies would definitely love to know that their kids still get a healthy treat every snack time.

Knick Knacks X-Blast’s design also caught the respondents’ attention. “It looks unique and very colorful. My kids will definitely be tempted to ask me to buy it for them,” as one mommy puts it. Aside from its design, kids can also enjoy solving the puzzle at the back, as one of the kids say, “I will cut this out and do the puzzle.”
“I wouldn’t worry about making my kids drink their milk, because they can have the same nutrients with X-Blast,” one mommy said as she explains how much she likes the product, “and it’s a lot easier for me to encourage them to drink it because it’s chocolate.”

“I like to have one every day in my lunchbox,” one of the kids said who really enjoyed X-Blast, “ soI’ll ask mommy to buy me in the grocery.”

Moms and kids can definitely enjoy snack time at school or at home, every time, with Knick Knacks X-Blast, which also comes great with Knick Knacks Biscuits, those popular fish-shaped biscuits coated in yummylicious goodness such as chocolate, choco on choco, milk and strawberry.

“Judging from the reaction of the Moms and their kids, we are confident that the Knick Knacks X-Blast Chocolate milk drink will soon become part of every kid’s snacking experience. Who knows? With the kind of experience that Moms had with our product, it would not be a surprise if adults end up loving the X-Blast, and probably make it a part of family bonding through fun snacking,” comments NiloChincuanco, General Manager of Delfi Foods, Inc.

So load up on chocolate with the Knick Knacks X-Blast Chocolate Milk Drink and upgrade your snack time any time—even best when coupled with your favorite Knick Knacks biscuit—for an even greater and more fun snack experience.

Knick Knacks X-Blast Chocolate Milk Drink is available in major supermarkets and groceries nationwide and comes in 250 ml and 110 ml sizes.

Goya for the Filipinos and Chocoholics by Heart

What exactly is the difference between tsokolate eh and tsokolate ah?

Both were used as code in Noli Me Tangere where tsokolate eh, the “good” thick chocolate drink was for important guests, while tsokolate ah, the “bad” watery version was for nuisances. Both are still used today, but as different recipes rather than a comment on one’s importance. These quirky terms survive as reminders of how we came to our identities as Pinoys through our long-running love affair with chocolate, and the history of our own language, Filipino.

Filipino today is the result of generations of modifying the Tagalog dialect with various Spanish and English influences. It was officially chosen as the national language in the first National Assembly in 1937 because it identified us as Filipinos. In 1946, President Osmeña passed a law officially celebrating it with the first Linggo ng Wika, then held on March. It was in 1997 when President Ramos declared the entire month of August as Pambansang Buwan ng Wika.

Chocolate has its own rich history in the Philippines, and it was the Spanish that introduced us to it. It was love at first bite, and we never looked back. One chocolate brand in particular has captured our love affair with chocolate. And much like other things we Filipinos have inherited such as the jeepney, adobo, and our language, we took chocolate and made it distinctly Pinoy!

In this case it was Goya, when it introduced the Goya Chocolate Bar in 1956. The company’s signature chocolate, the Goya Bar quickly became a favorite amongst Pinoys because it was sweet, simple, straightforward, and undeniably Filipino.

2006 was a big turning point when Delfi Foods Inc., updated the iconic brand, Goya, using the expertise and license of Delfi Chocolate Manufacturing  SA Switzerland. This overhaul included sourcing the best cocoa beans, new and exciting chocolate recipes and variants, a modernized 3-hectare manufacturing plant in Marikina City, and a message that’s as honest and wholesome as the chocolate itself: Enjoy Life, Enjoy Goya!

Goya now has lots of different chocolates, but the Goya Bar remains a Pinoy favorite and the crown jewel of a brand founded over 50 years ago. Mostly unchanged since 1956, the Goya Bar still represents the Filipino and the Pinoy’s love for chocolate. With its history and identity, some might even say that it is the Filipino Chocolate. Loved by all, the Goya Bar does not discriminate, and it is still sweet, simple, and straightforward.

Perhaps most important of all, the Goya Bar has continued to grow with the Filipino thanks to the ongoing efforts by Delfi Foods. Since acquiring the brand in 2006, they have introduced new exciting recipes that cater to the Filipinos cravings for different types of chocolates, including 9 different variants for the Goya Bar!

Aside from the classic Milk Chocolate, Pinoy’s can also have their Goya Bar in rich Dark Chocolate, delicate Cream White, milk chocolate with Raisins, milk chocolate with Raisins and Nuts, milk chocolate with Almonds, Cookies and Cream with real cookie bits, Krispy Krunch—rice crispies in milk choclate, and Krispy Krunch Dark—rice crispies again, but this time in luxurious dark chocolate.
With all of these delectable Goya Chocolate Bars to choose from, Chocoholics everywhere have even more ways to enjoy life and enjoy Goya!

After all, chocolates are far more than just a sweet treat for us Filipinos. Chocolate to us is a gift, a celebration, and a tradition. And as President Osmeña wisely concluded, traditions are best honored by celebrating them.

This August, Goya invites all Chocoholics to stand proud and celebrate Buwan ng Wika with friends and family! Show your wit in the talumpati, your poetic heart in the tulaan, your intelligence in the bugtungan, make old Francisco proud in the balagtasan, and for the fiesta, make sure you’re stocked with lots of your favorite Goya Bar!

Not a certified Chocoholic yet? Join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GoyaChocoholics!

The Profile of Flawless Chocolates

Why do women love chocolate? Personally, every pack of the tasty treat is love at first bite. 

The experience is much much better when the chocolate came from someone special to your heart. It makes you feel loved and happy with the fact that a thoughtful and generous soul just gave you something to irresistible to eat.  It's a sweet gesture to give something sweet to your sweetheart (redundancy intended).

Why are chocolates so heavenly good? Because chocolates, to be very, very good, are supposed to be processed with perfection in mind and thus, there is no room for error. Everyone wants to eat chocolate so it has to be of excellent quality to be truly outstanding.

This is what Delfi, a top chocolate confectionery brand, always bears in mind in the manufacture of their world class-quality chocolates. Through meticulous research, including time-perfected recipes plus safe handling and processing of top-quality raw materials, Delfi is now able to make chocolates as perfect as possible to meet consumers’ discriminating demands.

To make everything perfect, Delfi, brought here in the Philippines by Delfi Foods, Inc., makes sure that the quality of each product that comes out of their factory is really top of the line. All necessary ingredients are infused on its products, like Goya and Knick Knacks, for example, and carefully handled to make them perfect in taste. “Aside from being an art, chocolate making is also a science. Precise timing and temperature of the cocoa is always carefully observed to make that signature Delfi taste in every Goya chocolate,” explains Nilo Chincuanco, General Manager of Delfi Foods, Inc.

The scientific side in making Goya involves putting up a dedicated team of product experts to oversee all chocolate-making activities and at the same time, rigorous safety and quality standards are met or even surpassed to make the perfect chocolate.

With the Delfi Quality Management System in place, plus globally recognized manufacturing standards like ISO 22000, HALAL certification, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) as set by the Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), all products that roll out of its factory are of more-than-adequate quality and free from other food safety hazards in order to protect the consumer.

“The credibility of the brand is at stake here so we cannot let our guards down. We continually find ways, through painstaking research and development efforts, on how to make our chocolates perfectly delicious and yet absolutely safe,” says Chincuanco.

Surely, with the breadth of food quality certification standards they put in place, Delfi is still able to make their Goya products affordable for every Pinoy. “Though affordable, it is no excuse to sacrifice quality and food safety. These two are always on top of our minds and are always in place in the entire manufacturing process,” Chincuanco adds further.

There is no denying that the perfect chocolate is made out of thorough and careful research, the best ingredients available, and proper food manufacturing processes—and Delfi makes sure that their Goya and Knick Knacks products has them all to make perfectly delectable chocolates.

Wanting for that ideal and faultless chocolate? The next time you crave for superb-tasting and extraordinary chocolates, try Goya Chocolates that come in bars, bite sizes, panned, wafers and other products that are a perfect fit to the Filipino chocolate palate and of course, Knick Knacks. These premium-quality and affordable brands are what every chocolate-loving Filipino rightfully deserves—and should not miss.

So head off to the nearest major supermarkets, leading groceries and convenience stores nationwide—and even pharmacies, too, and heartily share those delightfully-tasting Goya and Knick Knacks chocolates with your family and friends. It’s the best way to spend any chocolate day.

Or be a Goyaholic. Join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GoyaChocoholics. 

The perfect Koala's March combos for the whole year

Kids definitely know how to enjoy a snack in many different ways, especially when it is a kind of snack that has many layers to it—just like Koala’s March.

With its crunchy biscuit’s outer shell filled with rich flavorful filling that is sure to burst in your mouth, kids will definitely enjoy Koala’s March in almost any manner they want and in tandem with a lot of fun and flavorful goodies to pair it with.

Here are just some of the fun-filled combinations one can enjoy with Koala’s March. You’ll be surprised to discover that Koala’s March goes well with most of their favorite goodies!

Warm drinks. Rich and creamy hot chocolate or warm milk adds an extra dose of wholesome goodness to Koala’s March. Just a small sip, followed by a piece of Koala’s March biscuit creates a sweet, slush-like mixture in your mouth. If you’re a dunker, you can always dip it in and then drop straight into your mouth for that satisfying dose of milk-chocolatey goodness.

Ice Cream. One of the best combos for Koala’s March is to eat it with ice cream or frozen yoghurt. The thick and creamy texture of ice cream and yoghurt complements well with the biscuit’s crunchiness, as one could expect a one-of-a-kind burst of delight when the flavored filling from the biscuit mixes with the creaminess of the ice cream or yoghurt.

Chocolate syrup, Caramel or even Condensed milk. Nothing satisfies a sweet tooth than dipping Koala’s March into these delectable delights. It’s sure to be a treat for kids but of course like in all things, keep it in moderation. Remember to always brush your teeth to prevent cavities and other dental problems.

Small Berries and other sweer fruits. It may sound unusual, but Koala’s March is surprisingly good with fruits cut into small pieces. You can even glaze it with syrup if you want. It’s really worth giving it a try. And you may also do your own experiment on mixing and matching Koala’s March with other food items.

So whether it be food or drinks, these are just some of the delightful ways kids—even adults—can enjoy Koala’s March. With all the combos out there, you are sure to enjoy this tasty treat any time of the day, any time of the year. Just go ahead and be creative with your taste buds because with Koala’s March biscuits, you can never go wrong.

Marching away from the blues

Have you seen your child look gloomy after a bad day, whether in school (failed to answer correctly a question during recitation), a spat with a best friend, or when he can’t shoot hoops at the village basketball court because of bad weather or his gaming console’s screen suddenly went fuzzy?

Don’t worry. Just like adults, kids also have their own share of “down” moments. What’s important is how we teach them to pick themselves up, wipe away that gloomy look, have fun and face life positively. And here are some friendly suggestions from our friends from Koala’s March that you and your child can do to help chase your blues away and get you back on your happy feet. With around 125 koala designs in every pack to enjoy, Koala’s March will take your mind off from all things bothering you.

A good way to start is to make yourself comfortable. Breathe deeply, inhale and exhale slowly, making sure you take in lots of oxygen into your system. Play your fave CD if you need music to bring you to a relaxed state.

Then open the box and you will see a bunch of koalas printed on delicious, flavor-filled biscuits. Take one and place it right before your eyes and you’ll instantly notice a very cute and cuddly koala. Close your eyes and put yourself in that Koala’s shoes—smiling, carefree, and happy. Now think of the luscious chocolate or strawberry cream bursting within each biscuit. Once the feeling fills you from head to toe, put one into your mouth and munch it any manner you want. Now, doesn't that just put a smile on your face?

Try repeating the same process with each mouthful. And to make it more fun and exciting, think of happy thoughts.

Heck, you could do almost anything you can think of with these biscuits for as long as it will cheer you up. Try to remember happy moments or imagine a role-play with the koalas and make them talk. A warm glass of milk or chocolate drink can also serve as a good partner while eating Koala’s March. Feeling much better?

Always remember, we all have difficulties in life every day and it is quite normal. Sometimes, to really solve a problem, all you need is a quiet moment to relax and keep yourself cool. And most of the time, if you are more relaxed, more solutions come to mind. Of course, it is also highly recommended that you try and seek help from others, especially from your family and friends.

And that is exactly what Koala’s March does—help out and cheer up his friends! It could work the same for you.

K-O-A-L-A stands for...

Learn about the cute and playful Koala with five interesting attributes that describe just what kind of creature it is!

K-Kind

Though it may seem a bit odd to some, describing an animal, especially a Koala, with a human attribute such as kindness is totally justified.  Koalas are kind animals simply because they are herbivores. Big word, right? Being herbivores mean Koalas eat nothing but plants or leaves—Eucalyptus leaves to be precise. This means Koalas don't harm other animals or hurt them in any way for food. They are calm and harmless and their only weapon against aggressors is to growl. Though sometimes fierce in their own way when their safety is threatened, Koalas never hurt humans or fellow animals and pretty much keep to themselves (they prefer to live alone!) in their natural habitat.

O-Offbeat

The Koala is like no other animal in the animal kingdom. Though its slow movements are similar to the Sloth's, there is no other animal that resembles the Koala!  Koalas have pear-shaped bodies that help them maintain their balance while perching on tree limbs. Despite their plump bodies, they are excellent climbers so they can climb smooth tree trunks easily and quickly, and are also good swimmers who cross rivers to get away from floods and predators. What is even more offbeat about the Koala is that despite its climbing and swimming prowess, they move quite awkwardly on the ground.

A-Aromatic

To be aromatic means to have “a strong distinctive fragrance” and our little furry friends are extremely aromatic! No, they don't smell unpleasant. In fact, they have a very comforting smell which is the aroma of the Eucalyptus leaves they eat all day so they smell a bit on the “minty” side.

L-Languid

A word that may not be common to one's vocabulary, “languid” is to be “lacking in vigor and vitality.” Koalas are so languid that some people think they're lazy because they sleep so much or because they seem to move in slow motion. They certainly don’t ever seem to be in a hurry. But, there is a very good reason for such behavior: Eucalyptus leaves are low in nutrients. Even though Koalas eat a lot of them, the leaves don’t provide them with much energy. So koalas conserve their energy by moving slowly and getting plenty of sleep. Lucky Koala!

A-Amazing

One attribute that makes this animal so amazing is its thick gray fur, which is so thick that it’s almost waterproof. Their fur changes to adapt to the different temperatures in their environment. Their woolly waterproof coats keep them warm in cold weather and dry when it rains or when seasons change and the weather warms up, they shed some of their fur to stay cool. It’s like the Koala has its own multi-purpose clothing collection, ready for any type of weather!

Given these characteristics of Koalas, it is no wonder that many people get hooked on another interesting Koala—Koala’s March biscuit snacks, that is.

Koala’s March, with all its flavor and goodness packed into small biscuit sizes, is best when shared with friends and family—and all those you love.

First Time Mom

My baby Charles just woke up!

Hi everyone!  It's my first time to be a blogger and i really don't know what to write.  Good thing my husband's here beside me and with all his patience from my non-stop questions and pangungulit about blogging,  I was able to create my very own site and .... vhoooala!!  yehey!  GOT MY OWN BLOG!!!   Thank you, Love!

Anyway, welcome to Kuwentong Ina.  For my first post, I'll be writing about my one year old baby Charles Anthony.    He's asleep now and soon he'll be awake na. He sleeps like 2 to 3 hours in the afternoon.  I'm thinking what to give him for his merienda later since he eats little palang for snacks.  Maybe, biscuits (Marie nanaman?!?!)  Ok lang, favorite nya eh!  Hot cakes or avocado salad, since he loves avocado!

I think I'm stopping for awhile.   Charles just woke up.  Time to give his merienda --- Marie?  Hotcake or Avocado?  What do you think?