Chocolatera

A copper container where chocolate is whipped and melted, commonly known as chocolatatera. The mouth rim has a spout while attached at the ear is a flat, loop handle. Completing the set is a wooden, carved beater for whipping he chocolate to hasten melting under fire.

Preparation of chocolate in the Philippines followed Mexican tradition. Solid tableas were heated and mashed in a clay or brass pot called a chocolatera, then vigorously stirred with a wooden whisk known as a batidor to produce a rich froth before being poured into demitasse cups. For the elite, chocolate had to be espeso so thick a spoon could stand upright in it, while thinner, watered-down chocolate was considered inferior. Jose Rizal referenced this distinction in his novel “Noli Me Tangere”. In Laguna, thin chocolate is called “Chocolate A” (aguada) and thick chocolate “Chocolate E” (espeso). Chinese “chocolateros” went house to house grinding cacao on stone and prepared tableas according to each family’s preference, sometimes imprinting them with family names or emblems. Fine china servers from Japan and Europe were prized for serving chocolate, especially in refined households.

Over time, chocolate became deeply embedded in Filipino social and religious life. With Christianization under Spain, Christmas feasts incorporated Spanish elements such as jamón, relleno, ensaimada, queso de bola (Edam cheese), and thick hot chocolate. Even in difficult times, these foods were sought after as symbols of celebration and memory. On Christmas morning, families would serve rich Spanish-style chocolate espeso (thick) if affordable, aguada (thin) if resources were scarce paired, with queso de bola in cans and ensaimadas. Beyond the holiday table, chocolate became indispensable in daily life, particularly in regions such as Cebu, Negros Oriental, Leyte, and Samar, where tsukwate or tsikwate is traditionally enjoyed with puto maya, budbod, or suman.