Top 3 Mexican Chocolate Drinks That You Must Try in Mexico

Mexico was the one to introduce the wonders of cacao beans to the world, with the Olmecs being the first humans to taste the cocoa drink by grinding the beans, mixing them with water, and adding spices.

Being the first to taste the product of cacao beans, the Olmecs were also the first people to grow cocoa beans in Mexico, according to Cacao Mexico. Since then, the cocoa culture continued to spread to the Maya civilization and Aztecs, which started in 600 BC and 1400 BC, respectively.

The Mayans then used the cocoa bean to create a drink, while Aztecs preferred a concentrated bitter beverage known as "techocolat." Emperors, nobles, and warriors exclusively consume this drink. For these early civilizations, cocoa signifies abundance. It was also used in religious rituals dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec god, and bearer of men's cocoa.

The bean was also dedicated in ritual to the patron saint of Mayan cocoa, Chak Ek Chuah. Since the discovery of cacao beans, more delightful drinks and snacks emerged and were created in Mexico.

3 Best Mexican Chocolate Drinks in Mexico

Mexican chocolate drinks are a marvel and a taste experience that anyone should try. Here are some of Mexico's most popular and most consumed cacao drinks you should try when visiting the country.

Mexico's Champurrado

Champurrado in Mexico is always served hot and often accompanied by tamales or sweet bread. Most of the time, residents drink it for breakfast, but tradition also calls it to be present during all Christmas-related holidays. The usual recipe for Mexico's champurrado includes corn masa, cacao, cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, milk, or water. Other variations include cornstarch or rice in the making of champurrado.

In Mexico, the most common version of hot chocolate beverage is made from big round tablets of cocoa paste, cinnamon, and sugar, usually sold in red and yellow boxes. Traditional hot chocolate started to evolve with the arrival of the colonizers, with some removing the chilies and adding a sweetener.

Tascalate

The drink Tascalate was first found in 1566 and was written in the journal of Bishop Diego de Landa, relating that the Chiapanecos drink Tascalate regularly.

The drink is consumed cold and is usually prepared with roasted corn, chili, chocolate, pine nuts, cinnamon, and piloncillo. Many drink the said Mexican chocolate drink as if it was coffee. Tascalate is also believed to provide health benefits such as improving blood circulation, slowing aging, and filling the drinker with energy.

Tejate

Tejate starts with a paste of toasted corn flour, cacao beans, and ground-up pits of mamey, a sweet fruit with bright orange flesh. To top the ingredients list, a white flower known as flor de cacao is included, which is necessary for Tejate's signature scent, froth.

Traditionally vendors knead the mixture of the paste and water in giant clay bowls, with the ingredients releasing oils and creating a thick, rich foam that rises to the surface as more water is added.

All the kneading and mixing result in a light brown liquid capped with a layer of white foam that looks like a dense whipped cream. In Oaxaca, consuming Tejate is very much part of the residents' routine as coffee is in other parts of the world.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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