Food - Drink
The Difference Between Mexican Chocolate And Filipino Tablea
By HOPE NGO
Mexico and the Philippines each have their own unique chocolate products, Mexican chocolate and Flipino tablea. These confections are made similarly, but also have their differences.
Mexican chocolate exclusively refers to chocolate made by roasting and blending cacao nibs with sugar, cinnamon, and possibly hot chile peppers, almonds, cardamom, and more.
Mexican chocolate is often made by hand, creating a grainier texture. Cacao beans are roasted, ground into liquor, blended with sugar and spices, then shaped into logs or discs.
The chocolate is often used in recipes rather than eaten alone. Mexican hot chocolate is its most famous use, and champurrado is another Mexican chocolate drink made with cornmeal.
Meanwhile, tablea is made in a similar way: cocoa beans are roasted, ground into a thick chocolate mass with possible add-ins like muscovado sugar, then shaped into pucks.
While Mexican chocolate is either flavored or spiced, tablea only uses sugar for a flavor boost. It's also used frequently in hot chocolate, called tsokolate in the Philippines.
When tablea is melted, it can also be used in tortes, cupcakes, brownies, Filipino rice rolls (suman or budbod), and a rice porridge called champorado (which may sound familiar).
