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| Origin | Philippines |
|---|---|
| Flavor | Chocolate |
| Ingredients | Chocolate,milk or water,sugar |
| Variants | batirol |
| Related products | Hot chocolate |
Tsokolate (Tagalog:[tʃoko'late]choh-koh-LAH-teh), also spelledchocolate is a nativeFilipino thickhot chocolate drink. It is made fromtabliya ortablea, tablets of pure ground roastedcacao beans, dissolved in water and milk. Like in Spanish and Mexican versions of hot chocolate, the drink is traditionally made in atsokolatera and briskly mixed with a wooden baton called themolinillo (also calledbatidor orbatirol), causing the drink to be characteristically frothy.Tsokolate is typically sweetened with a bit ofmuscovado sugar, and has a distinctive grainy texture.[1][2]
While today coffee is far more common,tsokolate is traditionally consumed at breakfast and/ormerienda (afternoon snack time) as a substitute for or alongside coffee (which it predated in the country), traditionally paired with traditionalkakanin delicacies orpandesal and other types of traditionalFilipino pastries. It is also popular duringChristmas season in thePhilippines, particularly among children.[2][3]
The wordtsokolate itself is merely the prescribed formalTagalog language orFilipino language spelling of both Spanishchocolate and English chocolate, with adjusted orthography to reflect a more native construction (tso vscho,k vsc) and the latter spelling tends to be more common.
Tsokolate is also known assuklati inKapampangan;sikulate inMaguindanao; andsikwate orsikuwate inVisayan languages. All are derived from Spanishchocolate ("chocolate"), ultimately fromNahuatlxocolātl.[1]
Tsokolate and these other terms may refer both to the hot chocolate drink or chocolate in general, but in breakfast andmerienda contexts, the hot drink is almost always meant.
Tableya (also spelledtabliya ortablea, from Spanishtablilla, "tablet") are small traditionally home-made tablets of pure ground roastedcacao beans.Tableya is made by drying beans of ripecacao fruit for two or three days. The dried beans are shelled and roasted. They are ground into a thickchocolate liquor paste that are then formed into the characteristic little discs or balls and allowed to dry.[4][5][6] Aside fromtsokolate,tableya is used in a wide variety of other traditional desserts in the Philippines, most prominently inchamporado, aglutinous riceporridge flavored with chocolate.[4][7]
Tsokolate is traditionally prepared by boiling water and milk in a special high-neckedpitcher-shaped pot known as atsokolatera (alsotsokolatehan,sikulatihan,sikwatehan, etc.). It is taken off from the flame once bubbles start to form and a few discs oftabliya are dropped into the liquid.Muscovado sugar and more milk or cream is also added, to taste. A special wooden baton called themolinillo (also calledbatidor orbatirol) is then inserted through the top and briskly twirled using the palms of the hands to bring the liquid to a froth. It is then poured into individual cups.[8][9][10]
Modern methods of makingtsokolate can include using regularwhisks,blenders, ormilk frothers to achieve the same frothy consistency. Additional ingredients likecinnamon,vanilla,pinipig rice flakes, or evenrum ortequila can also be added. However, using commercialcocoa powder instead oftabliya is strongly frowned upon, as it does not give the same texture or taste.[3][8][10][2]
Tsokolate is commonly consumed at breakfast ormerienda with traditionalkakanin or bread. Common pairings withtsokolate includepandesal,puto maya,puto bumbong,churros,ensaymada,buñuelos (orcascaron),suman,kesong puti, andbibingka. It is also popular duringChristmas season in thePhilippines, particularly among children.[2]
In the novelNoli Me Tangere (1887) by the Philippine national hero,José Rizal, the antagonist character Padre Salvi is alleged by his rival, thealferez of theGuardia Civil, to calculatingly serve thickchocolate (espeso) for important guests and watered-downchocolate (aguado) for guests he deemed unimportant. According to the alferez, Salvi surreptitiously signals his servant to prepare either by saying "chocolate, eh?" or "chocolate, ah?" - "eh" and "ah" actually being short forespeso andaguado. The narrator states he is unsure if this is just slander because the same story has been told about many priests, or it may be a practice of Salvi'sFranciscan Order. Following Rizal, the terms "Chocolate Eh" and "Chocolate Ah" have been adopted by some establishments.[11]
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