"Tsokolate" Part 1

After migrating to the US in 2002, I returned back home in 2006 to visit my mom and my sister in the Philippines. Like what they say, there is no place like home especially when it comes to food and family traditions. 

I remember that trip vividly since it was my first time to experience a distinct chocolate drink called “Tsokolate de Batirol.” This creamy, smooth and dark hot cocoa made of tableya was so divine and delicious. This is not your usual instant cocoa in a powder form that you can purchase in typical grocery stores. I felt excited and happy that I finally tried this traditional Filipino drink. After that first experience, tableya became one of my favorites because of its versatility not only as a drink but also as a key ingredient for cooking and baking. 

Tableya by Auro and Oodaalolly.

Tableya is made of 100% pure cacao beans without any additives. The beans are fermented, dried and roasted, then grounded  and finally molded into balls or tablets.

I always ask myself these questions - Why have I never tried this before? Why did it take me to leave the Philippines to discover tsokolate or tableya? 

Fun Fact

SOURCE: IFEX Philippines NXTFOOD Asia, May 2019