A Mexican hot chocolate is a hot drink prepared in Mexico or in the style of how Mexicans drink chocolate, which means grinding cacao, adding hot water or milk, sugar, and cinnamon. In Mexico, they generally just call it a chocolate but given the amount of Mexican immigrants in the USA, the name Mexican hot chocolate is what English speaking countries call it. The name is very important to distinguish it from the more common American hot cocoa drink. Which is something very distant from Mexican hot chocolate. Mexican hot chocolate is a cacao based drink that is ubiquitous in Mexico but also popular throughout Central America all the way to down to Colombia
Even though the recipes could be similar, no other country in Latin America, or the world, has the same amount of obsession for drinking chocolate as the Mexicans. The Aztec, Maya, and all indigenous communities of these areas, enjoyed hot chocolate for thousands of years before it was discovered by Europeans. The origin of the word chocolate comes from xocolatl (bitter water), from the ancient Aztec language, Náhuatl. Another important word in this region is xocola’j which means “to drink chocolate together”. Mexican hot chocolate has a history of over 4,000 years, whilst chocolate bars, or eating chocolate, has a short history of only about 200 years!
Traveling to the different regions of Mexico, like Veracruz, Tabasco, Oaxaca, and Chiapas, you can discover chocolate drinks that you have never heard of before. There are hundreds of recipes that are still prepared daily and vary from region to region and family to family.
Original recipes dating back thousands of years only contained cacao, water, and sometimes corn. But when people today use the description of Mexican Hot Chocolate, they are usually referring to the most popular current versions which are made with cacao, sugar, ceylon cinnamon, and milk. It can be enjoyed every day for breakfast or as a snack – this is common for children in Mexico and Central America. But it is highly consumed around indigenous and religious holidays like Christmas, Three Kings Day, and Day of the Dead. Then and now, cacao-based drinks are a must for any celebration. The most prized drink being chocolate-atole, native to Oaxaca, a fermented cacao drink that takes 5-6 months to prepare and is valued for its amazing thick froth.
The largest consumers of any cacao based drinks are Mexico, Central America, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, and the Philippines. Although most Americans and Europeans recognize it as Mexican Hot Chocolate, it goes by different names in different countries. These are some of the names used: chocolate, chocolate de mesa, tableta, tablea, tablilla, or pastilla. All of this would be similar to what is kwown as Mexican Hot Chocolate. Soon after the Spanish colonized Mexico, and learned to make chocolate drinks, they colonized the Philippines and took the cacao drinking culture there. Both the cacao tree and hot chocolate recipes were taken to the Philippines by the Spanish. There you can find it under the name tablea or tableya.
Hot chocolate made from cacao is not commonly consumed in other Latin American countries like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, or Paraguay. Their version is made with chocolate chips or chocolate bars instead of cacao. Which might be confusing to you. Mexico and Central America make their chocolate drinks with ground cacao nibs … they can be ground on a stone then added to the liquid. Whereas the other countries I mention, take chocolate chips or a chocolate bar and melt it to make their drink. It is two different things. Read more below.
Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay showed no strong interest in cacao because they were already consuming other stimulants, like guaraná and maté, that were easier to grow and harvest and they did not see the allure of going through the long process necessary to turn cacao into chocolate. They also did not use the metate, or stone tool, that was widely used in Mesoamerica to cook. Therefore, they had no way of processing the cacao bean into a paste. It was not until the surge of Portuguese and Italian immigrants into Brazil, Argentina, and the aforementioned countries, that drinking chocolate began to emerge, but only in the European style. A Brazilian would not recognize a Mexican Hot Chocolate as a hot chocolate drink. And a person from Oaxaca, Mexico, would not recognized a Brazilian hot chocolate as a chocolate drink.
But let’s get back to Mexican Hot Chocolate. In Colombia they drink the same drink, but they don’t call it Mexican hot chocolate. Same thing in Panama, Guatemala, Belize, etc. They have their own names like bebida de cacao or bebida de chocolate, but the recipes are the same.
The chocolate industry, or us professionals of chocolate, refer to the mix used for making this drink as unrefined chocolate, or cocoa mass, or cocoa liquor. There is no one term that can describe this type of product. For simplicity, I refer to the ground cacao as unrefined chocolate. Below is an I took in Guatemala of freshly ground cacao that we stored in banana leaves and let harden. This unrefined chocolate will harden and be stored until it is time to make a cacao drink.
Unrefined chocolate is made by grinding cacao on a metate, molino , or some sort of grinder. It is a pretty basic process. Get cacao beans, roast, crack, remove husks, and grind. This unrefined chocolate could be further refined for a few hours or days and it will become a creamy, smooth chocolate bar. At this point, it would be considered a refined chocolate.
I can take unrefined chocolate and sugar and transform that into a smooth chocolate bar, but I cannot take a smooth chocolate bar and transform that back into unrefined chocolate. The main characteristic of an unrefined chocolate is that it has very little processing and the flavor remains very strong. Recipes that claim to be for traditional Mexican hot chocolate drinks, but contain chocolate chips, chocolate bars, or cocoa powder in the ingredients, are not correct. I am not saying it will not be tasty, I am saying it will not have that special authentic unrefined cacao flavor.
Chocolate chips and bars have been ground and refined a long time to give it that smooth texture and will have lost a lot of flavor by the time they are ready to enjoy. And they might have the addition of vanilla, cocoa butter, and soy lecithin.
And then there are recipes that call for cocoa powder which is made by pressing the cacao nibs (cacao beans without the husk) and removing the cocoa butter, thus using only cocoa powder for the Mexican chocolate drink will not result in an authentic flavor. The ancient recipes are made with ground cacao that has not been refined for longer than a few minutes. Remember, this used to be done by hand, no machines. Actually, this style of unrefined chocolate is still largely hand-processed. This is why the texture of a true Mexican chocolate will always be gritty and grainy.
If you want to experience the most authentic Mexican hot chocolate or cacao drink, the one that is thousands of years old, you should mix ground cacao with water and serve it lukewarm. You might add ground corn, achiote, or vanilla. What we now consider Mexican hot chocolate is a more modern recipe that became popular when the Spanish arrived in Mexico, bringing with them milk, sugar, cinnamon, and the desire to consume it hot. It was not until the late 1500s, 3500 years after the drink was discovered, that the recipe was altered. The Spanish began to grind cacao with sugar, cinnamon, nuts, anise, or sesame seeds, and remove the corn and other native ingredients.
Currently, many indigenous communities in Mexico, Central America, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela continue to drink it with only water and perhaps ground corn. There are hundreds of recipes for cacao drinks in the Americas. To see the top 5 cacao drinks of Mexico, visit my post here.
below of a cacao drink in Belize made with ground cacao and water in traditional drinking cup called xicara, jícara, or calabash.
The cacao. Cacao was first cultivated and consumed in Mexico. But most experts agree that the actual tree is native to the Amazon. There is debate on whether it was the Brazilian Amazon, Peruvian Amazon, Venezuelan Amazon or Colombian Amazon. If you are from any of these countries you are convinced it came from your country.
You can purchase two types of cacao: fermented or unfermented. The world’s finest chocolate bars are made with fermented cacao. They cut the cacao fruit, remove the seeds, put them in a wooden box or pile to ferment for 4-8 days. The cacao is then dried in the sun for 6 to 15 days. Fermentation is one key step to developing complex chocolatey flavors in high quality chocolate. You can get fermented cacao at MeridianCacao.com or chocolatealchemy.com.
Most chocolate in Mexico that is meant for drinking, is made with unfermented cacao. This is also known as washed cacao or cacao lavado. Farmers cut the fruit, remove the seeds, wash them with water and let them dry in the sun for 6 to 15 days. You can find unfermented cacao at Latin grocery stores in the USA. It might not say unfermented cacao or cacao lavado (washed), but you can tell by looking at the surface. This is a stand at a Mexican market in Oaxaca – on the left is washed cacao and on the right is fermented cacao. Washed cacao is usually more expensive because it requires more work.
Mexican hot chocolate contains spices like cinnamon and chili and chopped bittersweet chocolate to create a very rich but less sweet flavor. Whereas traditional American hot chocolate is usually made with a combination of cocoa powder and/or chocolate and tends to be more on the sweet side.
Chocolatero. A chocolatero is a special vessel with the sole purpose of mixing or frothing the cacao drink. In Mexico it is usually orange clay or painted green, and in Colombia they have a famous design made from aluminum. The important design component is that the bottom should be wide enough to allow you to whisk and that it be tall enough to avoid spilling.
And then there are recipes that call for cocoa powder which is made by pressing the cacao nibs (cacao beans without the husk) and removing the cocoa butter, thus using only cocoa powder for the Mexican chocolate drink will not result in an authentic flavor. The ancient recipes are made with ground cacao that has not been refined for longer than a few minutes. Remember, this used to be done by hand, no machines. Actually, this style of unrefined chocolate is still largely hand-processed. This is why the texture of a true Mexican chocolate will always be gritty and grainy.
The largest consumers of any cacao based drinks are Mexico, Central America, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, and the Philippines. Although most Americans and Europeans recognize it as Mexican Hot Chocolate, it goes by different names in different countries. These are some of the names used: chocolate, chocolate de mesa, tableta, tablea, tablilla, or pastilla. All of this would be similar to what is kwown as Mexican Hot Chocolate. Soon after the Spanish colonized Mexico, and learned to make chocolate drinks, they colonized the Philippines and took the cacao drinking culture there. Both the cacao tree and hot chocolate recipes were taken to the Philippines by the Spanish. There you can find it under the name tablea or tableya.
Most chocolate in Mexico that is meant for drinking, is made with unfermented cacao. This is also known as washed cacao or cacao lavado. Farmers cut the fruit, remove the seeds, wash them with water and let them dry in the sun for 6 to 15 days. You can find unfermented cacao at Latin grocery stores in the USA. It might not say unfermented cacao or cacao lavado (washed), but you can tell by looking at the surface. This is a stand at a Mexican market in Oaxaca – on the left is washed cacao and on the right is fermented cacao. Washed cacao is usually more expensive because it requires more work.
Aztec or Mayan Chocolate: Ground cacao, cocoa powder, or chocolate with cinnamon, chili, and/or other spices. This is a recent style invented by many romantic American and European chocolatiers. Example: Lake Champlain Aztec Hot Chocolate or Nomadic Drinking Chocolate. They use the word Aztec to indicate that it has chili or spices. But it does not resemble anything the Aztecs drank nor anything currently consumed in the Americas. It is a new style of drinking chocolate – liking chili in your drink is completely personal. As an American-Mexican, I admit putting chili on everything, except my chocolate! Chile in chocolate is a romantic idea dreamt up by Westerners.
The great thing about any hot chocolate including a Mexican version is how customizable it can be! You can choose to make it with whole milk or almond milk or whatever works for you, and find recipes that call for cooking over low heat or medium heat or even in a crockpot.
If youre reading this, youre likely at least a little bit aware of the delicious, hot beverage known as hot chocolate. In the United States, its generally made with some sort of chocolate, heated milk or water, and sometimes another sweetener. It also often comes with whipped cream, chocolate chips, or marshmallows to make it even more irresistible.
Both those examples are sticking to pretty traditional Mexican hot chocolate recipes, but they can get more complex and varied. Some recipes call for things like chocolate shavings, sea salt, cinnamon sticks, a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder, vanilla extract to make it semisweet, brown sugar, and much more.
Additionally, the Mexican chocolate the drink is sometimes made with is actually “a paste made from cacao nibs, sugar, and cinnamon,” according to Isabel Eats. “Its texture is very grainy compared to normal baking or milk chocolate due to the high sugar content,” the outlet added. It also tends to be more bitter than the chocolate most Americans are probably used to.
Who doesnt love a delicious mug of hot chocolate on a cold night? Maybe youve become a little more adventurous with your recipes in recent days, and, while looking for the perfect hot chocolate recipe, come across one for Mexican hot chocolate. Is there a difference, you ask? As it turns out, yes, there is.
The Mexican Hot Chocolate Battle: Abuelita Vs. Ibarra
FAQ
Why does Mexican hot chocolate taste better?
Why is it called Mexican hot chocolate?
Why does Abuelita hot chocolate taste different?
Is Mexican chocolate different from American chocolate?
What is the difference between Mexican hot chocolate and regular hot chocolate?
It uses real chocolate, while regular hot chocolate may use cocoa powder or chocolate syrup. The Mexican take on this beverage also has a grainier and frothier texture, because it is whisked with a traditional wooden tool called a molinillo. Traditional hot chocolate is smoother and creamier.
Mexican vanilla vs Regular vanilla: Which is healthier?
Regular and pure Vanilla is made from whole vanilla beans extracted with alcohol. Whereas Mexican vanilla is made using tonka tree which belongs to pea family, extracts of vanilla are added and is entirely different from regular vanilla. Regular vanilla is healthier compared to Mexican vanilla.
What does Mexican hot chocolate taste like?
The combo of cocoa powder and real, bittersweet chocolate make this traditional Mexican Hot Chocolate recipe perfectly rich and creamy. With warm notes of cinnamon, chili powder, a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little kick of spice, and the sweetness of vanilla, it blows away any other version out of the water!
Does Mexican hot chocolate have alcohol in it?
It may not have alcohol in it, but here is how MariCarmen—who grew up in Mexico City and has long lived in St. Louis, Missouri with her family—makes her Mexican hot chocolate. She lists the quick steps: “First, I boil the milk. Then I add Mexican chocolate—in tablet form.