Hola, everybody! It´s been raining for days here in my little corner of Mexico, and I am seriously sick of it. It’s cold, and there’s a constant drizzle that just won’t let up. Ugh. The good news is that this is perfect weather for some comfort food. And I know just the thing to cheer me up- a cup of Mexican-style hot chocolate!
Follow my blog and enjoy Mexico!
Click to tweet this post
I must confess I am a real chocolate lover. FYI, I specially prefer dark, bitter chocolate over the light, very sweet kind. If you are anything like me, you are not alone. Millions of people all over the planet share a passion for chocolate, which is perhaps Mexico’s greatest gift the world. What? You didn’t know that? Let’s sit down, have a cup, and I will tell you the story.
How To Make Mexican Chocolate
First, let’s make some hot chocolate! Pour four cups of milk and a tablespoon of vainilla into a saucepan, and warm it up on low heat. Watch it carefully, or it will spill all over the stove. Take it from me!
Now, grab a tablet of Mexican chocolate and drop it into the milk. I know, it looks like a hockey puck, and it’s also just as hard. But don’t worry! As incredible as it may sound, it will completely dissolve in the hot milk. If you want, you can smash it to pieces first, but you might need a hammer for that! It’s best to just throw it in there and let it melt.
I used two tablets because the more chocolate the better, right? I also made another version with almond milk for myself because I’m lactose intolerant. That’s something you didn’t know about me!
After a few minutes, gently stir the milk and to help dissolve the chocolate. Once it does, it’s time to make it frothy. You will need to use this strange looking thing.
This utensil is called a molinillo, and its only purpose is to make frothy, hot chocolate. Every Mexican housewife has one! Put it in the saucepan, hold it between your hands, and rub it rapidly to make it spin. Come on! Spin it faster! The milk won’t splash out of the saucepan, I swear.
Spin the thing until you accomplish two things- a great arm workout and frothy chocolate!
Finally, pour the drink into cups, sprinkle with cinnamon, sit back, and enjoy while I tell you the legend of chocolate.
The Legend Of Chocolate
Once upon a time, the god Quetzalcoatl came down from heaven and brought the light of knowledge to Mankind. He taught humans science, art, agriculture and architecture. With his help, humans prospered and grew wise, and Quetzalcoatl was so proud that he decided to give them another precious gift.
Quetzalcoatl went back up to heaven and secretly brought back with him a cacao tree that he planted in the fields next to the sacred city of Tula. The tree grew and gave fruit, and then Quetzalcoatl showed humans how to pick the fruit’s seeds and use them to make a divine drink reserved for the gods- xocolatl, or chocolate.
Chocolate made humans ever stronger and wiser. So much so, that eventually the other gods took notice. They became became furious when they realized that humans had been drinking chocolate and that Quetzalcoatl had given it to them. So, the gods devised a plan to punish him for sharing the secret of chocolate.
One day, Quetzalcoatl met a foreign trader, who was really one of the other gods in disguise. The fake trader offered him glasses of tlachihuitli, an alcoholic beverage, until Quetzalcoatl got so drunk he passed out. When he woke up, he realized he had gotten drunk and behaved so shamefully, that the cacao trees had withered and died.
Quetzalcoatl wept and decided to leave forever. He walked to the end of the earth, and before he vanished into the sea, he looked back and threw his last cacao seeds on the ground. Those seeds grew into new trees, and humans were able to keep drinking delicious chocolate for ever after.
Aztec Chocolate
The ancient Olmecs were the first to drink xocolatl, around 2000 B.C, and they passed down the recipe to the Maya and the Aztecs. Chocolate was made by roasting cacao seeds, grinding them, mixing them with other seeds, herbs, spices, and water. Then, the mixture was stirred to make it frothy and it was served cold. There was no sugar back then, so cacao beans were mixed with chili peppers. How does spicy chocolate sound?
However, only kings, priests, and the high class could drink xocolatl. Ordinary people mostly used cacao seeds as a remedy for several diseases or as currency.
Some historians claim that the Aztec emperor Moctezuma drank 50 cups of xocolatl a day from golden goblets. The drink was said to give enough energy for a soldier to walk a whole day without rest, and it was also considered an aphrodisiac. On a second thought, I think chocolate is still considered an aphrodisiac. Think Valentine’s Day!
Chocolate Crazy
When the Spanish conquistadores arrived and met emperor Moctezuma, they were given cups of frothy, spicy xocolatl. After the Spanish conquest, the conquistadores kept drinking xocolatl happily because it was an energy drink. And an aphrodisiac. Let’s not forget that.
For a few more years, chocolate remained spicy and not everyone liked it. Fortunately, a group of clever nuns in Oaxaca came up with the idea of mixing it with milk, sugar, vainilla, and cinnamon. That’s how the classic cup of hot cocoa was born. The recipe became so wildly popular that it caught on in Europe as well. Bless those nuns!
Chocolate became so popular in Spanish-ruled Mexico, that people drank it day and night. Aristocratic ladies even had their maids pour cups for them during church services. Nuns and monks drank cups of chocolate to keep themselves awake during early prayers, but then became so addicted to it that they no longer fasted according to Catholic rituals. You know, for some reason, I truly do not blame them.
This grew into such a scandal, that the bishop in the province of Chiapas decided to simply ban chocolate from churches. However, this enraged people so much, that many even stopped going to church! The bishop remained firm, but it seems he pushed his luck too far. It turns out someone poured poison into the bishop’s daily cup of frothy chocolate and he died soon after. Oh, the irony!
Enjoy chocolate!
Now, we live in the 21st century, and you don’t have to meet an emperor or plot against a bishop to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. All you have to do is grab some milk and a tablet. Oh, and if your really want to enjoy it like we do here in Mexico, grab a concha, or pastry. This is what I call comfort food!
As you sip your cup, remember that Quetzalcoatl gave the gift of chocolate to the ancient people of Mexico, and then Mexico gave the gift of chocolate to rest of the world. You’re welcome!
Wow I love how informative this is!! I have always LOVED Mexican chocolate. I also love to get Mexican Spiced Mochas too.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Mexican spiced mocha sounds like something I would love too! lol 🙂
LikeLike
This looks proper yummy! I love hot chocolate so much 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Who doesn’t? lol 🙂
LikeLike
It was so interesting learning the history behind Mexican Hot Chocolate. I love that it has cinnamon in it. Also, it was fun to learn about a molinillo. I would like to get one sometime. Thank you for your post!
LikeLiked by 2 people
A friend of mine who lives in NY told me she found one through ebay. Glad you liked my post! 🙂
LikeLike
Wow, this is too cool! I love how you weave the history into it too! I tried authentic mexican chocolate from a little shop outside of cozumel when I visited two years ago! I spoke to the woman who owned the shop for like twenty minutes about how her family has been making this for generations. A wonderful post!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Doing stuff for generations is something we do a lot here in Mexico 🙂 I hope you visit my country again.
LikeLike
There is so much I love about this post!! I grew up in Dominican Republic and my family was in the cocoa bean business, so I grew up with homemade hot chocolate made from the beans in our fields, and I think that also made me partial to the more bitter cocoa for some reason it just tastes more authentic. My grandmother also had a molinillo and would make the chocolate on the stovetop as well. I love running across similarities between cultures, reminds me we are all more similar than we think. The history of chocolate was great, I love that you incorporated that in, and your writing is so fluid and engaging. Definitely following your blog!
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s amazing how Latinos have so many things in common! There’s so much to pass down to the future generations 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Which is why I genuinely LOVE your blog. You include the history but also make it personable, so even a younger person who never got to experience that part of their own culture can come here and be informed and connected. No better way to pass on culture than through food!
LikeLiked by 2 people
oh my goodness, what a treat, love the history behind the chocolate and while I love history I can only imagine when such an invention was found the excitement that would take place
stopping by from bloggers united on facebook. Hope you find time to come visit my blog as well http://shopannies.blogspot.com
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sure will! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
LikeLike
What an awesome post Fabi! 🙂 Question– If I don’t have a molinillo, could I use a hand mixer or blender instead? 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hmmmm, good question. Perhaps you could try a hand mixer or a whisk. If you decide to try it, let me know how it went!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am pinning this so that I give it a try. I have never used Mexican chocolate before. Is it like using a very dark chocolate?
LikeLiked by 2 people
It has a different flavor, depending on the brand you use.
LikeLike
Great story, I have always been enchanted by myths & legends and this is a good one! I’ll try the recipe too!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m glad you liked it 🙂 and I’m sure you’ll love the chocolate too!
LikeLike
I’m coming straight over for a cup!!:) I can’t resist chocolate…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Come over anytime 🙂
LikeLike
Oh yum! it’s hot chocolate season for us over here as it’s getting colder now. I’ll have to try this method, we usually use cocoa powder. And interesting tidbit: in the Caribbean where I’m from originally, we have something similar to the molinillo that we call a swizzle stick. it’s used for mixing up all kinds of drinks 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
That’s very interesting! It’s amazing how cultures in the Americas are so similar to each other
LikeLike
You are a kitchen queen , my friend. I love choclates in any form !
LikeLiked by 2 people
You’re my kind of person! lol 🙂
LikeLike
I love Mexican chocolate.got it twice from duty free, next time I am in Mexico, will get a molinillo, thanks!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
That is a wonderful idea, Arvin! It’s something useful to have on hand 🙂
LikeLike
Fabiola, this makes me think of home soo much. I love the hot chocolate my mom used to make. We didn’t have a molinillo though – just a whisk. But now I want to go buy one! Very cool.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks 🙂 A molinillo is a must-have!
LikeLike
OMG. I need this in my life right now. Do you make a spicy version? If so I need that recipe too. Lol this is great
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great comment! It’s easy to make spicy chocolate. Just add cayenne pepper and cloves instead of cinnamon and vainilla. I should add that to the post. Thanks for reminding me 😀
LikeLike
Impressive!! I LOVE Dark Chocolate with Chili Peppers and Cherries😍😍😍
LikeLiked by 2 people
oh, I have to try that! 🙂 Chocolate goes great with anything lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes ma’am! It’s by chocolove.com but I’ve gotten it at a health food store before!! ENJOY!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have always wanted to try making my own chocolate! I drink mochas daily.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Check out my Facebook page! There’s a video on how to make your own chocolate tablets 🙂
LikeLike
I’ve never seen your site before – I love it! So glad I found it and the hot chocolate looks amazing 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
So glad you found me! I’ll be sure to check out your blog 🙂
LikeLike
Sounds delish!
LikeLiked by 2 people
It really is 🙂
LikeLike
Oh why did I have to read this while hungry at midnight? Haha excellent post. Looking forward to reading more!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well I thought your post was awesome, but now I just mad because I’m from Croatia and I don’t think I’ll be able to find Mexican chocolate here 😦 feel free to send it O:-) and yeah, it’s currently raining ☔ here too, so your post really came at the right time 🙂 good work 🙂 keep going 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Aria 🙂 I’m glad you liked my post and I hope it stops raining soon!
LikeLike
That looks so good! It’s hard to get good Mexican food yet alone desserts in Canada – can’t wait to try that out on my own!
xxo.
http://www.simplyshantel.com
LikeLiked by 2 people
come to Mexico and try!
LikeLike
Yum! My husband’s family makes this and its so delicious!
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s really delicious! Is your husband’s family from Mexico?
LikeLike
Love the chocolates .
Nice post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hola! Who needs to buy books when we have Fabiolaofmexico! I really do enjoy your witty conversation put to words! We learn, We giggle and end up with a big smile and some new learned knowledge of Mexico! I still dream of going down there, The news has everyone afraid of it, but you bring back the desire to visit. The culture, the passion and beauty, is very evident in your words! Love it, You make everyone who reads a friend! HUGZ and Gracias!
LikeLike
You’re too kind! 🙂 Thanks for all the blog love ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love seeing chocolate made with that wooden stirrer, just makes it seem so authentic and it’s uber delicious 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
And it’s fun to make too! 🙂
LikeLike
Spicy chocolate is perfection! I must try this recipe, too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you do, let me know how you liked it 🙂
LikeLike
Definitely!
LikeLike
Very nice!
LikeLike
What an interesting story !!
Thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for reading!
LikeLike
I love this blog! I’m Mexican-American and it can be difficult in the states to learn more about my roots. I didn’t know that story about Queztalcoatl and his gift of chocolate. I will have to buy a molinillo and try out this recipe, my mom has Abuelita chocolate and I know she would love to try this out.
LikeLike
Abuelita chocolate is the best! 🙂 I hope you like it
LikeLike
This is so interesting. Thank you for sharing with all of us. BTW, I love love chocolate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re my kind of person! Thanks for reading 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi I nominated you for an award, if you’re interested: https://curlygirlabroad.wordpress.com/2016/09/22/blogger-recognition-award-2/, no pressure though 🙂
LikeLike
Mexicas did’nt use milk !
LikeLike
Duh, of course not. That’s exactly what I mentioned. Please read more carefully!
LikeLike