Based in Manila, Philippines, Dessert Comes First is a chronicle of the food-obsessed food writer, Lori Baltazar. This website is all about desserts, restaurants, coffee, and the pleasures of homebaking. Read more about me Tsokolate eh!
Fri, August 12th of 2005
12:30 pm
Say each syllable quickly like a staccato beat: cho-koh-la-teh-eh! with the accent on the “eh” thus my exclamation point. It’s Filipino thick hot chocolate, specifically made with tablea, (tab-LAY-ah; also tableya), cacao balls. Tablea also comes in flat or thick disks and even squares, but balls are the most common shape.
Tsokolate is made from cacao and traditionally from crushed peanuts which add a pleasant grittiness and nutty flavor. The ingredients are ground together to form a thick paste and can be kept in bottles for several months.
Most commercial tableas however omit the peanuts and use grounded cacao that is shaped into balls. They are easily available (unsweetened or sweetened) at supermarkets under brand names like Alfonso’s (my favorite), Megan’s, and Antonio Pueo (which I find bitter).
It’s been raining steadily for more than a week now here in Manila, and the temperature has dropped, a rarity here in my tropical country. Naturally, with the cooler weather, my thoughts and palate (they’re almost always connected somehow) yearn for something hot and liquid. Classic American cocoa or French hot chocolate has its place and time, but when it’s gloomy outside, I want my tsokolate.
My ideal tsokolate is brown as earth and thick enough to dip bread or cake into, but I haven’t had much luck with that; so I get my fix from Dulcinea, a Spanish deli here in Manila, that serves a terrific tsokolate with churros (fluted crullers).
Here are three tableas ready to be cooked. The ratio I use is 1 tablea per cup of milk, which is good for one person. Of course using more tableas per cup of milk would naturally yield a thicker, richer drink. I use low-fat milk instead of evaporated milk, which is what Dulcinea uses, thus their thicker, more sinful blend. As the heat warms the milk, the tableas become softer and easier to crush.
Traditionally, native tsokolate is made by pouring hot water and the tsokolate paste into a tsokolateria, and then using a batidor to allow the mixture to foam. A batidor (bah-tee-DOR) is that wooden beater you see in the photo used for whipping hot chocolate into a tizzy, thus achieving that much desired froth and foam.
Frankly, I don’t know how to use a batidor correctly, although the motion is simple: it’s rubbing your hands together while holding the batidor. I often prefer my rubber spatula to a batidor when making tsokolate, since I’m not successful at achieving thickness or froth, but then again, I need to rethink my tsokolate-making methods.
Of course what’s a cup of tsokolate to do without a (dipping!) partner? It’s best with pan de sal (native bread rolls), or my favorite, ensaymada (EN-sigh-ma-da), a brioche-like yeast roll slathered with butter, sugar, and grated queso de bola (Edam cheese).
Sigh, perfect rainy weather feel-good food.
a lola’s hot chocolate
transforming tsokolate – thin to thick
duman and tsokolate
my search for the best hot choc – Paris
Nana Meng’s tsokolate
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hi lori, i’ve never had the pleasure of tasting tsokolate before – it sounds fascinating and delicious…thanks for sharing in your wonderfully evocative post…cheers,j
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Comment by J — August 12, 2005 @ 11:21 pm
Nana Meng’s is another tsokolate brand that came on the market a couple of years ago through the xmas bazaars. I saw they have a stand at the Salcedo Market on Saturdays. Good hot chocolate. I like the grittiness of tsokolate, it goes well with ensymada loaded with queso de bola shavings.
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Comment by Mila Tan — August 13, 2005 @ 3:52 pm
i also like dunking small sticky puto–the ones kalatiaw (hope i spelled that correctly), pangasinan is famous for–in my hot choco
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Comment by bakya — August 14, 2005 @ 7:20 pm
i used to live in mindanao and we had a cacao tree in our front yard which we made tsokolate from…sigh! i miss the philippines.
i love your blog btw, and i’m gonna try some of your recipes as soon as i stop slaving for corporate amerika. thanks!
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Comment by teray — August 16, 2005 @ 8:40 am
hi, i’ve just been surfing the web and happened upon your site. i am filipino as well, and reading your blog about the weather over there reminds me of when i was there last october. this tsokolate sounds delicious. im not a fan of filipino foods, my mom should have told me about this one. anyways, i like the comments about manila and how things are over there! jen
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Comment by Anonymous — August 18, 2005 @ 2:47 am
hi guys , I know that you all love cocoa tablea espcially when its cold or raining outside. I would like to introduce our new addition to our product line, Dutche Chocolate Powder/ Tablets. This all natural chocolate tablet is made from pure alkalized (Dutch process) cocoa powder. Its various uses make it very saleable especially among hotels, bars/cafes, restaurants, bakeries and households.
We also have it in Sweetened Dutche Chocolate Tablet(Tablea) so that our consumers doesn’t have to add sugar and thus saves time especially for those who are always on the go.
Dutche Chocolate Powder also comes in handy as fondue, churros dip, choco drink, pastries, cakes, brownies, champorado, icing , etc.
.
Please feel free to contact me at 6569060/09228106217 for your orders/sample requisition.
You can also email me at [email protected] and I can send it to you through the courier. I hope this help especially those living abroad who wants the taste of authentic cocoa tablea.
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Comment by hulseye — September 25, 2005 @ 1:46 am
Hi! I love your blog! I also am a fan of tsokolate!!! Try going to Bacolod Chicken Inasal. They offer drink-all-you-can tsokolate with suman. Yummy!
Loi
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Comment by Anonymous — February 6, 2006 @ 3:48 pm
hello lori, can you tell me how to make tablea out of cacao beans? We had cacao trees and i want to make tableas. Can you share those procedures with me?
Thanks, erwin
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Comment by Anonymous — April 29, 2006 @ 1:18 pm
Hi Erwin,
While tsokolate is my favorite drink in the world, I don’t know how to make those cacao tableas. The procedure I outlined in the article are simple steps that I gathered from an interview.
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Comment by Lori — April 30, 2006 @ 8:13 am
Hi, Lori!
I grew up having Tsokolate Eh at our breakfast table and during Noche Buena. My mom’s family comes from Bicol and my ancestors made tsokolate from scratch. This tradition has been passed onto my Titos and Titas.
The way we cook our tsokolate balls is simple: Just dissolve approx. 1 demitasse water & 1 ball in slow heat. Bring to a boil. Add milk and serve in a demitasse.
This proportion is for thick consistency. Feel free to add water or milk as you would prefer.
If you would like to try our home-made tsokolate, email me at [email protected] or contact +63918 9373229. We accept orders as well.
Keep exploring this wonderful world of chocolate and other mouth-watering treasures!
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Comment by Skuti Tsokolate — May 21, 2006 @ 1:59 am
Thanks for pointing me to this article! It sounds amazing (and I truly love your writing). I’ve never had the pleasure of trying it, or Spanish hot chocolate which by your description sounds similar. I’ve not seen the tablets over here, but will check out all my specialist places and see if they have anything of the like.
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Comment by Monaz — June 10, 2006 @ 5:41 pm
Hi… nice post… ni blog… i just happen to bump into this blog and its nice to know another guy with a sweet tooth has a blog… hehehe… anyway is it Batidor? all the while i thought it was batirol?
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Comment by Paolo — September 21, 2006 @ 8:42 pm
have u ever tried this place in chinatown binondo called LA RESSURECCION CHOCOLATE? They make it the old way and whenever I walk by the bittersweet strong smell of choclate waifs through my nose and senses.
I’ve tried making it into ice cream. Haven’t made hot chocolate out of it yet.
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Comment by Anonymous — October 23, 2006 @ 9:13 pm
Hi I don’t have a blogger account yet. I just chanced upon your blog and I find it really informative. I brought tsokolate tablets with me when I came back to Canada 5 months ago however, I wasn’t able to buy the BATIDOR and I have been bugging my brother to buy me one ever since. Unfortunately, my brother said he couldn’t find it anywhere in Manila. Would you have any idea where my brother can get hold of it? I know I can use a wire whisk but I would love to have the ‘real’ one. Thanks in advance. Again, nice blog. One of my favorites actually.
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Comment by Anonymous — November 7, 2006 @ 4:17 am
Anonymous-Batidors are now more commonly available than they were before, thankfully. Tell your brother that he can find one at any Nana Meng’s chocolate stall (Glorietta, Market! Market!, Salcedo Saturday market). They’re inexpensive. If you need more help, email me. I’m always willing to help a fellow tsokolate lover!
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Comment by Lori — November 7, 2006 @ 9:48 am
Thanks so much for your help. Appreciate it a lot.
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Comment by Anonymous — November 7, 2006 @ 9:59 am
Nice site, But is there a way to make tablea a chocolate bar? Sorry I don’t know much about chocolate making except from using “to be melted” chocolate clock
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Comment by Anonymous — November 9, 2006 @ 10:17 am
Hey Lori!!!!
I’m a friend from way back!!!! When red skirts were our daily outfits.
So if you use skim milk, does your tsokolate thicken? Or should i simmer it longer than if I use evaporated milk?
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Comment by Anonymous — November 15, 2006 @ 8:42 pm
my personal criteria for excellent tsokolate are:
1. thick and creamy (real chocolate eh!) and
2. not too sweet (i want to taste the bitterness of the cacao)
and so far i’ve found the best in Cafe Adriatico and Oyster Bar by Via Mare at GB2. for some reason, the hot choco at other Via Mare branches are not as satisfactory.
I don’t like nana meng’s, the paste doesn’t dissolve completely no matter how long i cook and whisk it.
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Comment by janey — December 3, 2006 @ 7:29 pm
has anyone tried the hot chocolate at chowking? thick and creamy..very good!
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Comment by Anonymous — December 5, 2006 @ 9:12 am
Hi there!
Just to add on your craving for hot tsokolate…I’ve recently saw Baquio’s famous chocolate de batirol somewhere in Serendra’s newly opened commercial plaza, Bonifacio High Street if Im not mistaken. I’ve tasted one at John Hay, hope they got the same perfect taste of Chocolate de batirol from John hay!
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Comment by Anonymous — December 11, 2006 @ 7:30 pm
is it not batirol
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Comment by ma — July 20, 2007 @ 12:47 pm
hot guy
I just came upon this website via the blogging baby website. Interesting post. This could have easily been written by me (with just a change or two). Funny to read another story that is so similar to my own.
Trackback by hot guy — September 17, 2007 @ 10:44 pm
chocolate always gives me a headache.
But I never learn. It’s just sooo good.
I can give up beer, but not chocolate.
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Comment by andy — May 19, 2009 @ 6:25 pm
Anyone who is interested to buy tablea made from fermented cocoa beans?
Call/text me at 09176031315.
We also sell natural cocoa powder.
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Comment by Karen — December 16, 2009 @ 3:29 pm
hello guys,
just want to share my experience when i was in batangas and the first time i’ve tasted the “tablea tsokolate ” .. it was so good perfectly served hot! real chocolate talaga yung taste nia.. so guys its a very alternate to those preservatives or ready to drink choco mix! mas masarap ang natural!
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Comment by Annie — February 26, 2010 @ 2:07 pm