I took a break from baking today because I don't feel well. Actually, I feel down. Hence I was trying to find something to lift my spirits up, something comforting. Something to give you a warm fuzzy feeling like the ones you get when you wake up on a chilly morning and cuddle close with someone special. Such tenderness. I miss that. I miss Baguio.
I had wonderful food memories from the city of pines, among which is Cafe by the Ruins. Located at Chuntug Street, this historical food trip destination boasts of using only the best natural and local produce from the region. One of their unforgettable offerings is the Dark Bittersweet Chocolate served in a demitasse. It was so thick that I became confused of whether to drink it from the cup or use a spoon and take it like a soup. This drink is made of pure Tablea, carabao's milk, cream, muscovado sugar with a hint of cinnamon. Who knew that a gustatory-orgasmic drink can be created using local ingredients!
My tongue was suddenly reminiscing the feel of the tablea drink; the sweetness when it goes into your mouth then the bitterness once it spreads onto your tongue. I must have a Tablea drink pronto!
What is Tablea? Tableas are little thick disks/balls/bars of pure grounded Cacao seeds.
So what is Cacao? I thought we were talking about chocolate? Well, Cacao is the tree where all the chocolate goodness starts from. The Cacao tree produces fruits with seeds covered in tangy fleshy pulp. The seeds are then processed into different derivatives: cocoa powder, chocolate liquor and cocoa butter --- ingredients you should find printed on your favorite chocolate wrapper. :)
When I was younger, we had a neighbor who had a Cacao tree, every time it yielded fruit she would invite me to eat the fleshy pulp and place the seeds in a colander. I happily ate until my heart's content but never understood then why she wanted to reserve the seeds and dry them on the roof. Curious I got (I developed the habit since I was a kid), I saw that she had a makeshift oven where she placed the now dried seeds and roast them until they smelled earthy and a bit sweet. I haven't seen what happens next, but I noticed a giant mortar made of stone and a pestle (at that time, taller than me) made of hardwood in her garage. I made a deduction that after she had roasted the seeds, she would pound it into a paste using the mortar and pestle; well, since I was a sneaky kid I looked into the mortar and found dark stains that had a strong smell which was the same as the smell coming out of the oven. The time we moved into another house I learned from reading a book in the school library that chocolate is made out from Cacao seeds. Our neighbor was in fact making Tablea!
Tablea has all the fat and grits from the roasted seeds. Pure and unfiltered. If I'm not mistaken, much like what the Mayan and Aztecs made during their time. Unfamiliar with sugar, the Aztecs added hot chilies into their "xocoatl'" for added flavor. Hmm... what if?
Luckily I still had some Tablea left from a baking experiment last week (which I will make again in time). I took some bottles out of the spice cabinet, sugar and milk. I was a happy kid again.
 |
| Earthy gritty rich goodness. ^_^ |
SPICY HOT TABLEA
INGREDIENTS
25 grams of pure unsweetened Tablea (approx. 2-3 thick disks)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup water
1 tsp brown sugar
1/8 scant tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
PROCEDURE
1. In a small saucepan, combine milk and water until it simmers.
2. Add Tablea and sugar. Whisk until no large lumps appear. Remove from heat.
3. Continue whisking until liquid becomes shiny and fragrant; whisk in nutmeg and cayenne pepper (adjust spice to your liking).
4. Pour into a cup. Enjoy while hot, or cool down a bit. The more it cools the darker and thicker it becomes.
*If you don't appreciate the gritty texture, you can strain the still hot liquid through a fine sieve.
I took a sip and felt my spirits soar. The spices gave it a nice kick that leaves your tongue chasing after the innate sweetness of the Tablea. I understood why the ancient cultures revered chocolate as an elixir; it has a way of putting you into a good mood.
Of course the "good mood" stays whilst enjoying the rich beverage... So I'm thinking of making another cup, hehe... :)
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