Made the way Cebu has always made it
Mercy's Tablea is a small family business in Compostela. We are not trying to reinvent tablea. We are trying not to ruin it.
My Tiya Gloria still makes tablea the old way, from the cacao trees still standing on her land. Watching her is what got us started. Back then it was just a hobby in our kitchen.
Here in Compostela, sikwate is what people drink. Classic Cebu tablea is made from sun-dried, unfermented cacao, roasted and ground into a paste. We never ferment the beans. Fermenting is for chocolate, and it leaves a sour note that has no place in tablea. Ours tastes like cacao, and nothing else.
My wife Mercy is the one who makes it. The brand is named after her.
We buy our beans from the same vendor at the market. We roast them in a wok, crack the skins on a hand grinder, winnow them in a bilao, and grind them until they turn into a paste. Then they go into the moulds, the chiller, and the bags. No factory here and no secret ingredient.
Mercy's Tablea is roasted from 100% cacao beans and formed with passion and love.
Three steps you can taste
We do every step ourselves, from the market to the mould.
We roast whole beans
We start with the bean, never with powder. Same vendor at the market every time. We roast in small batches and keep watching it. Leave it too long and the beans go bitter and smell burnt.
We crack, winnow and grind
The skins come off on a hand grinder. We winnow them away, then grind what is left into a thick, sticky paste. Nothing goes in at this stage. No sugar, no oil, no filler.
We mould and chill
The paste goes into the moulds and into the chiller until it sets, then straight into the bags. Each piece is enough for a cup or two, so you never have to guess.
Three promises we keep
No fillers, ever
We don't stretch it with flour, sugar or cheap cocoa powder. You get the bean, ground down.
Small batches
We'd rather make less and taste every batch than make a lot and hope for the best.
A fair price
Sikwate should be something you drink every morning, not a once-in-a-while treat.
Not sure which pack to start with?
Go for the Small Pack. It is the cheapest way to find out if you like it dark and strong or sweet and milky.