Unboxing the Classic Polvoron Stick

UNBOXING THE CLASSIC POLVORON STICK

In a way, we are like polvoron. We come in different shapes and sizes. This one was mailed to us by a polvoron agent for reviewing. In our previous reviews, we compared different brands of polvs from each other. Since this one is unique to the ChocoVron brand--well, we haven't found a similar kind of polvoron from other brands yet--we're just going to unbox it for you, and share our initial findings.

With coffee? Agree! polvoron is fun when partnered with coffee. But with tea? I don't know.

Interesting packaging. Gold makes it look even more classy..

Count my fingers!

The outer layer is chocolate, followed by a thin wafer, then a polvoron core. To be honest, it tastes more like barquillos with powder rather than polvoron. They should call this Barquillvoron instead. But, it's very fun to eat though!  I could finish a box of 12 without any help. Crunchy, creamy, sweet, and powdery. 

PGPCP Polvoron Drawing Contest

PGPCP Polvoron Drawing Contest

Are you a polvoron fan who knows how to draw, and has a good personality? Join our annual PGPCP Polvoron Drawing Contest! Sketch your favorite polvoron, take a photo of it, then email it to us at PolvotronPhilippines@gmail.com.

Criteria:

50% - Emotional Impact

30% - Skill / Craft

10% - Concept

10% - Quality

PGPCP will select 5 derserving winners! Each will be getting a FREE bag of classified polvoron and will be included in our Hall of Polvoron Art Gallery. All entries will be posted in our blog.

Send your entries between the first full moon of august until the first full moon of september 2014.

Polvoron Poem #1

Polvoron Poem #1

Grab a polvoron before it's all gone

But don't be scared, It gets sweeter when shared

It's a powdery delicacy that's for everybody

Be a polvoron lover, there's more to discover!

Battle of the Classics

Let's get it on, polvoron! It's a battle between the classics. The Goldilocks flagship polvoron versus Red Ribbon's "NEW and IMPROVED" CLASSIC polvoron. I don't get how "new and improved" can be a classic at the same time. Anyway, Let's start comparing their appearance.

The Red Ribbon Classic polvs is a little bigger than Goldie's classic. It also has smoother curves and has a fairer texture. The Red Ribbon Classic polvs is also well molded. No contest, RR classic looks better than Goldie. But Polvotron is not looking for the best looking polvoron. Appearance is but a fraction of the polvoron experience. 

“To seek greatness is the only righteous vengeance.” ― Criss Jami

Polvotron Group of Polvoron Connoisseurs of the Philippines gathered 10 random people to take the polvoron taste test. They were given a plate with sliced Goldie on the right, and sliced RR on the other side. Out of the ten volunteers, only two were in favor of brand B.

“Your greatness is revealed not by the lights that shine upon you, but by the light that shines within you.” ― Ray Davis

Brand B, according to the eight, was just too floury. Brand B lacks flavor; the only thing that's giving it flavor is sugar. Brand A however has something that gives it life. It's sweeter, milkier, and creamier! One of the two who voted for brand B chose brand B because he has low tolerance for sugar. The other one voted B because it's more powdery.

Polvorifiq! Brand A is clearly the champion. The eight were unanimous in saying that A has a richer and livelier flavor. 

Highlight the lines below to reveal brand A:

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GOLDILOCKS

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Goldilocks Classic:

Php95.00 (10 pcs)
Php168.00 (18 pcs)
Php189.00 (20 pcs)

http://test.www.goldilocks.com.ph/products/bakeshop/sweets/classic-polvoron/268

Red Ribbon Classic:

Php156.20 (16 pcs)
Php79.20 (8 pcs)

http://www.redribbonbakeshop.com.ph/classic-polvoron.html

Chocolate Coated Polvs

The exact origin of polvoron is unknown. Some say that polvoron goes way back before the Spanish era, and is Arabic in origin. A member of the Polvotron Group of Polvoron Connoisseurs of the Philippines (PGPCP) even believes that its origin is not from this planet. What we know for sure is that, polvoron is HERE TO STAY. Polvoron is continuously evolving and many polvorific innovations have been created. There's polvoron with pinipig, rice, cookies & cream, cashew, ube, coffee, and many more.

(photo from: http://www.philamfood.com/Manila-Polvoron-Malunggay-Pinipig-8.46oz.html)

In this write up, we are going to review a very interesting polvorific innovation. Who would have thought that polvoron could be coated with another ancient delicacy? Chocolate! Chocolate Coated Polvoron or Chocolate Covered Polvoron (CCP), is basically polvoron that's wrapped around chocolate. PGPCP recently reviewed the three most famous and most easy to find CCPs in Manila.

Photo: Top: House of Polvoron Artisan Series Chocolate Covered Polvoron. Bottom left: Goldilocks Choco Covered Polvoron. Bottom right: ChocoVron Chocolate Covered Polvoron.

Goldilocks Choco Covered Polvoron

Goldilocks polvoron is probably the most famous polvoron in the Philippines. They have several flavors to choose from and all of them are actually good. Goldilocks CCP is the thinnest of the three. Looking at the CCP's plastic cover photo, you will notice that its size is different from the rest of the Goldilocks polvoron selection, EXCEPT the Goldilocks classic polvoron (the one wrapped with cellophane). But is the cover photo accurate? We've opened one to show you a noticeable difference.

The chocolate coating of the actual Goldie CCP is way thicker than the ones on the cover photo. PGPCP unanimously concluded that the flavor of the chocolate is subjugating the flavor of the polvoron inside; you can hardly taste the polvoron. Hashtag #UNBALANCED. This is not good because the polvoron should be the center of the masterpice, and not the chocolate. Goldilocks should consider filling in more polvoron inside, or lessen the chocolate coating to balance things out. Polvorific? No.

HOP Chocolate Covered Polvoron

Interesting cover. This polvs' packaging is serious-looking. Unlike Goldilocks and ChocoVron, HOP's CCP doesn't have a cover photo as to give a luring mystery. Is the veil hiding something beautiful? 

First of all, props to the packaging. They designed it in such a way that the polvoron inside will not be damaged when opened. It's designed to be opened easily.

Thick chocolate and plenty of polvoron inside. This is how it should be. There is #BALANCE. This is a well designed polvoron. The chocolate coating is sweet, and the polvoron inside is a bit salty to balance the taste. Once you bite it, you will first taste the sweetness of the chocolate, followed by a touch of saltiness, and then coup de graced by HOP's smooth powder. This is POLVORIFIC! If you're into polvoron, this one you got to try. 

ChocoVron Chocolate Covered Polvoron

ChocoVron has 3 kinds of chocolate coating: chocolate, white chocolate, and the other one is just a combination of the two. In this review, we used the normal chocolate coating (not the white one). There's no plain polvoron for this type of coating so we had to choose between pinipig and cookies & cream. We got the c&c since it's easier to find.

Among the three, this has the friendliest looking packaging. Bright blue, just for you! ChocoVron polvoron looks like a UFO because of its smooth circular shape. But it's not just the shape that's round. The flavor itself is well rounded too, just like the HOP's polvs.

ChocoVron's internal looks similar to HOP's CCP but they taste different from each other. This one doesn't need that salty taste to balance the chocolate and polvoron. It simply has a symmetrical yin-yang! ChocoVron's CCP is simple and fun to eat. The coating is not too sweet, and the polvoron is inside is really powdery and smooth. ChocoVron c&c CCP is POLVORIFIC! Excellent, sweet, and powdery. However, they really need to do something about the packaging. You're lucky if you open one that's in one piece.

Polvorized!

Goldilocks Versus 7-Eleven

Polvotron Group of Polvoron Connoisseurs of the Philippines (PGPCP) recently investigated a legendary polvs (polvoron) that could be found in 7-Eleven convenience stores. The polvs' brand is Goldilocks. At first glance, the polvs being sold at 7-Eleven stores looks like it's the same polvs being sold in Goldilocks stores. But PGPCP master member, Mr. Sho Hikino, observed a great difference between polvs that they sell in Goldilocks stores, and Goldilocks polvs that they sell in 7-Eleven.

The first observation revealed by Mr. Hikino was the size. An ordinary polvs consumer wouldn't easily be able to tell the difference. The 7-Eleven edition is actually much bigger than the one's they sell in Goldilocks.

The 7-Eleven edition looks like it's 2x bigger than the Goldilocks edition. The ones shown in the photo above are of the same flavor, which is cookies 'n cream. Even the bits of cookies looks much bigger in the 7-Eleven edition. The ones sold in Goldie looks smoother, as if the powder and cookies were grinded and pounded by a machine.

The price of the 7-Eleven edition is P10 per polvs compared to P6 of Goldie. Goldie doesn't actually sell it per piece, so we just computed how much one would cost if you buy a box of 20 (P120).  So that's   120/20 = 6.

Goldie edition is half the size but more than half the price of the 7-Eleven edition. But how does it taste? Is the P10 polvs worth buying? Members of  PGPCP conducted a polvs taste test to know if there is a relevant difference in taste. Both polvs were sliced to be of equal size as to remove size bias and make it purely a taste comparison. The results were astounding. It was a mass conversion of skeptics to believers. The 7-Eleven edition was a landslide winner; It simply tastes better! Why does it taste better? We don't know yet. Maybe it's because the Goldilocks edition is just too compressed.  

Polvotron's search for the greatest polvoron continues...