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Tsokolate ( ), also spelled chocolate, is a native Filipino thick hot chocolate drink. It is made from tabliya or tablea, tablets of pure ground roasted Theobroma cacao beans, dissolved in water and milk. Like in Spanish and Mexican versions of hot chocolate, the drink is traditionally made in a tsokolatera and briskly mixed with a wooden baton called the molinillo (also called batidor or batirol), causing the drink to be characteristically frothy. Tsokolate is typically sweetened with a bit of muscovado sugar, and has a distinctive grainy texture.
Tsokolate is commonly consumed at breakfast with traditional kakanin delicacies or pandesal and other types of traditional Filipino pastries. It is also popular during Christmas season in the Philippines, particularly among children.
Modern methods of making tsokolate can include using regular , , or to achieve the same frothy consistency. Additional ingredients like cinnamon, vanilla, pinipig rice flakes, or even rum or tequila can also be added. However, using commercial cocoa powder instead of tabliya is strongly frowned upon, as it does not give the same texture or taste.
In the novel Noli Me Tangere (1887) by the Philippine national hero, José Rizal, the antagonist character Padre Salvi is alleged by his rival, the alferez of the Guardia Civil, to calculatingly serve thick chocolate ( espeso) for important guests and watered-down chocolate ( 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 for espeso and aguado. 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's Franciscan Order. Following Rizal, the terms "Chocolate Eh" and "Chocolate Ah" have been adopted by some establishments.Santos-Taylor, L. Marcelline (2025). 9789712733031, Anvil Publishing, Incorporated. . ISBN 9789712733031
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