Ghana

Lotte, the Japanese-Korean candy maker, has been around for some time, and I can remember their chewing gum being sold by the street hawkers in the early 80s, along with Juicy Fruit gum and Halls mentho-lyptus.  They've never been known for chocolates though, but despite that, I picked-up a couple of bars of Ghana choco bars in Clark Field during my last trip, just to sample the stuff.  To my surprise, the chocolate was smooth, had no greasy feel and had the right sweetness, that I thought I should have bought a few more bars, as the bar is priced quite reasonably (P60).  I understand that the chocolate bar is named after the country Ghana, which is one of the world's largest cacao exporters.  As an afterthought, I shouldn't be surprised, as Lotte, which was established in Japan, but grew to phenomenal proportions in Korea, is one of the region's biggest candy manufacturers.  In the Philippines, the group is in partnership with Lucio Tan's business empire, but I understand that the partnership concentrates on importation, not manufacturing.  A simple, fun treat!