Famous Chocolate Moron of Eastern Visayas and How to Make Them

The Philippines is a country rich of history and culture. Tourists from all around the world come here for the beautiful and marvelous sites of nature such as the breathtaking islands of Coron, Palawan, the various waterfalls all around the nation, the tall volcanoes peaking over the clouds, and even the Chocolate Hills in Bohol.

However, many of these tourists stay because of the people and the food. As the old saying goes, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”.

One of the delicious native delicacies found in the Eastern Visayas is the Chocolate Moron. It is a sticky rice cake shaped like a long cylinder mixed with cocoa powder to give it its distinct chocolatey taste. It is typically wrapped in banana leaves and eaten with hot cocoa during breakfast or as a snack.

It is pretty easy to make and worth it when you can finally eat it. Here is how you can make the Chocolate Moron; this recipe credits Foxy Folksy for the ingredients and the preparation. This recipe can accommodate up to 12 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup glutinous rice flour
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 can coconut milk -400ml
• 12-14 pcs Banana Leaves – 6×10 inch
• (Optional) 1 cup chopped roasted peanuts

How to make

1. Add in the rice flour, glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, and cocoa powder in a deep pan and whisk to combine.
2. Add in the coconut milk and the vanilla extract.
3. Simmer over low heat until it thickens slightly.
4. (Optional) Add chopped roasted peanuts.
5. Continue to simmer until very thick, sticky dough forms.
6. Cool down the mixture by transferring it to a bowl.

NOTE: If you want Vanilla Moron mixed with your Chocolate Moron like in the pictures, you can do so by making the vanilla mixture separately. Follow the same process above but without the cocoa powder and replacing the ¼ brown sugar with ½ white sugar.

Assembly

1. Clean and heat the banana leaves for wrapping.
2. Divide the dough into 12 to 14 pieces.
3. (If you have Vanilla Moron) Place the Vanilla Moron on top of one side of the banana leaf and flatten it about 6×4- inch rectangle. Spread a portion of the Chocolate Moron atop the Vanilla Moron. (If you don’t have Vanilla Moron) Place the Chocolate Moron on top of one side of the banana leaf and flatten it about 6×4- inch rectangle.
4. Gently roll the mixture into a cylinder to wrap it into the banana leaf.
5. Tie the ends using a thin strip of banana leaf as a twine.
6. Place these rolled morons in a steamer basket and steam over low heat for 30 minutes.
7. Take them out and cool them down to eat.