How Carol Gancia of Kokak Chocolates Finds Creative Expression in Confections

Carol Gancia was born and raised in the Philippines but moved to San Francisco and had a successful career in television production before venturing into chocolate. She named her business Kokak Chocolates, after the sound a frog makes, in Tagalog and her Asian inspired creations have been popular at chocolate festivals. During the pandemic she took the bold move of opening a retail location. We spoke with her to learn more about her chocolate journey and inspiration.

What drew you to work with chocolate?
Chocolate is a happy memory. It reminds me of growing up with my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents and how we were all such big chocoholics. 

In choosing my next path after video production, I decided on chocolate because to this day, it still truly makes me happy.

You’ve shared that you focus on the Nacional variety of cacao, what do you appreciate about it?
The Nacional flavor profile is just out of this world. This cacao variety has been around for 7,000 years. I am humbled to carry the same tradition that our ancestors started with cacao as a special treat that makes a difference in one's day. 

No other cacao has a floral flavor profile like Nacional.  It is grown for flavor and not maximum yield. I have a lot of respect for farmers that grow this variety. 

How are you involved with the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund? 
I am always excited to read about their findings and updates but am not an active participant. They are closely tied with my trade group, the Fine Chocolate Industry Association and both have common events where I get an opportunity to learn about their projects.

It seems like there’s been a vegan trend taking hold in the chocolate industry, what’s been your experience creating vegan confections?
We always try to come up with vegan flavors that have great potential to be a customer favorite. I think it's important to honor flavor no matter what you are making, whether it's vegan or dairy-free. In the end, our customers want a memorable experience with our chocolate truffles. We do our best to give them a dessert truffle they will not forget. 

You use a lot of tropical flavors in your truffles, can you share how you choose your flavors and source your ingredients?

Many of our flavors take customers on a journey to Asia where I grew up. Kalamansi was my lemonade growing up. Mango, the Philippines' national fruit, is my favorite fruit of all time. I had it for dessert during so many Philippine summers. Guava reminds me of my childhood friends climbing the guava tree for an afternoon snack. Coconut pie is the best pie ever in the Philippines. The coconut meat is just so fresh. You can find it in fruit stands during a long drive to some provinces. 

We do our best in sourcing high quality ingredients and in fact, use the premium, local, grassfed butter from Straus Creamery.  

What flavors are you most excited about and why?
I am excited about Kalamansi Almond Pie these days. It's my latest favorite. I love the combination of citrus Kalamansi and nuts. I enjoy the crunch.

The names of your collections are very evocative. Can you share the story behind Harana “Serenade” and Written in the Stars?

I wanted to explore a concept beyond flowers and hearts. I saw a guitar one weekend last year and the Harana (serenade in Filipino) Chocolate Truffle Collection was born. My grandma shared lots of stories about men serenading the women they loved outside their bedroom windows at night in the early 1900's. I think it's such a ballsy thing to do, putting yourself out there without knowing how your beloved will react. Philippine culture is so beautiful. It's my own small way of sharing where I came from. 

The Written in the Stars Chocolate Truffle Collection is whimsical, romantic and fun. It's my favorite collection. 

We hope to always have poetry in our chocolates. We think our job is done when customers get more than a box of chocolates out of their purchase. We hope it helps bring loved ones together, and brings warmth and happiness to the recipient. 

What does it mean for you personally and professionally to be based in the Castro?
I love the Castro neighborhood. It still very much feels like an old SF neighborhood. I am also thrilled to serve the LGBTQ community. What an opportunity to make chocolates for a community that has made such a big difference in people's lives. I couldn't be more proud to have a shop here.

You opened your shop during the pandemic, what are your hopes for the shop once life and business opens up again?

We can't wait to do chocolate tastings and other on-site events. It should be a lot of fun to spend time with the neighbors and other chocolate guests. 

Each new year is better than the last. Many of our customers order online for pick-up, local delivery or nationwide shipping. It's been a great holiday season and we are excited to support our customers with Valentine's Day gifting. 

What’s your approach to Valentine’s Day?

Preparing ahead is key in the chocolate business. We went from holiday production to Valentine's production. We started getting Valentine pre-orders in early January. We are now working on doing Lunar New Year and St. Patrick's. 

We can't wait to have the customers over at the shop to try our new flavors from the Harana Collection. We want customers to have options when gifting during Valentine’s Day so we also prepared our Love is Love box, our Castro Pride box with our heart truffles and our Blooms Collection. 

V Day can be a great excuse to indulge in chocolates. It can be a way to connect with long-lost connections. It can be code for I'm sorry, I love you, I like you, I miss you. I am grateful. 

I tell my friends, say it with chocolate.