Mexican Hot Chocolate (aka Aztec Cocoa) | Slow Cooker + Stovetop Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you use a Mexican hot chocolate maker? ›

Rather than stir the hot chocolate, like you might with a spoon, you place the end of the molinillo in a pot of hot water (or milk) and chocolate, then rub the handle between your palms, creating a small whirlpool that not only incorporates the cocoa but also oxygenates the mixture.

Aztec hot chocolate is a traditional beverage customary to parts of Mexico where the ancient Aztec and Mayan civilizations lived. At its most basic form, it's a mix of hot chocolate with chili powder or spice, and sometimes cinnamon and vanilla. The word "chocolate" comes from the Aztec "xocoatl", for cacao plant.

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.

The origins: Maya and Aztecs

The consumption of cocoa then was different from what it is today: the dried cocoa beans were ground and dissolved in water, with cinnamon and pepper added to enhance the flavor which was decidedly bitter and strong. The drink took the name of xocolatl.

The Aztecs used a Molinillo, which is a Mexican wooden whisk, to froth hot chocolate and other drinks such as atoles. It's a very old kitchen tool and very little historical records exist prior to the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores to Mexico.

The simplest mix was cacao with ground maize (corn) and water, providing a healthy, 'cheap-and-cheerful' gruel, that 16th century Spanish friar Toribio Motolinía described as 'a very common drink'. Frequently combined with ground chilli, this 'poor man's chocolate' was consumed throughout Mesoamerica.

For the ancient Maya and Aztecs, chocolate was a divine elixir, consumed as a bitter, frothy beverage during these sacred rituals. This bitter concoction was considered a drink of the gods, a medium through which mortals could commune with the divine. (When I add honey, I can get there!)

First, the best cacao beans were selected and dried. They may also have been fermented or toasted. Then, the beans were ground on grinding stones called metates, which look a bit like a flattened-out mortar and pestle. Similar stones are used in stone-ground Taza chocolate, following ancient Mexican traditions.

The Mayans called the drink “chocolhaa” (“bitter water”) and Aztecs called it “Xocolatl.” From those words eventually evolved the word “chocolate.” Cacao was used in special celebrations such as those for funeral rituals, war, or harvests.

The spices used in Mexican hot chocolate make it so unique and different from the hot chocolate you are probably used to. But don't worry - it's not super spicy. Rather, the spices amplify and complement the chocolate. They add extra warmth to this drink - perfect on a cold winter day!

Why is my Mexican hot chocolate grainy? ›

It has a noticeably grainy texture because it's processed only to the “liquor” stage, before it's poured into the disk-shaped molds to cool and harden. Classically, it's flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. To make the drink, this solid chocolate is broken into pieces, then just melted into a pot of hot milk.

Mexican chocolate should taste intense and have a rustic texture. Its flavor is due to the fact that the cacao beans are simply roasted and ground into a liquor, whereas a lot of European-style chocolate takes things a step further, using a conching machine to aerate the chocolate liquor and mellow out its flavor.

But European palates weren't satisfied with the traditional Aztec chocolate drink recipe. They made their own varieties of hot chocolate with cane sugar, cinnamon and other common spices and flavorings. Soon, fashionable chocolate houses for the wealthy cropped up throughout London, Amsterdam and other European cities.

Balché is a mildly intoxicating beverage that was commonly consumed by the ancient Maya in what is now Mexico and upper Central America. Today, it is still common among the Yucatec Maya. The drink is made from the bark of a leguminous tree, Lonchocarpus violaceus, which is soaked in honey and water, and fermented.

Pour 220ml of milk (or water or a milk-alternative) into the machine, then sprinkle in the hot chocolate flakes and press the button to start. And ta-dah! In just two-and-a-half minutes, you'll have a rich, luxurious hot chocolate ready to drink.

You simply roll the shaft between your palms to churn, mix, and foam the chocolate. The molinillo is also great for muddling fruits and herbs in homemade co*cktails! It's a pleasure to use or gift - and it's a guaranteed attention-grabber.

Hot chocolate aficionados in Mexico, Colombia, and the Philippines use the molinillo by taking it in both hands and placing it in a jarro, a special jug that contains the ingredients. Pressing their palms together, they twist the molinillo back and forth until the chocolate blends into a fabulous, frothy confection.