Mexican Hot Chocolate

As early as 500 BC, the Mayans were drinking chocolate made from ground-up cocoa seeds mixed with water, cornmeal, and chili peppers (as well as other ingredients) – a much different version from the hot chocolate that we know today. The Mayans would mix the drink by pouring it back and forth from a cup to a pot until a thick foam developed, and then enjoy the beverage cold. Although the chocolate drink was available to all classes of people, the wealthy would drink it from large vessels with spouts, which later would be buried along with them. In the early 1500s, the explorer Cortez brought cocoa beans and the chocolate-making tools to Europe. Although the drink still stayed cold and bitter-tasting, it gained popularity and was adopted by the court of King Charles V as well as the Spanish upper class. After its introduction in Spain, the drink began to be served hot, sweetened, and without the chili peppers. The Spanish were very protective of their wonderful new beverage, and it was over a hundred years before news of it began to spread across Europe.Hot chocolate hit London in the 1700s, chocolate houses became popular and even trendy, even though chocolate was very expensive. In the late 1700s Hans Sloane brought a recipe from Jamaica to Europe that called for mixing chocolate with milk which made the drink more palatable. The English started drinking chocolate with milk and it became an after-dinner beverage.In America, during the late 1700s, Martha Washington drank a chocolate tea made from cocoa shells. Chocolate in America was also used as a treatment for stomach and liver diseases as well as a special drink. In Europe, chocolate is a thick hot drink sometimes eaten with a spoon, whereas hot chocolate in America is a thin warm drink usually make with a hot chocolate powder mix. I challenge you this winter season to try one of the original hot chocolate recipes and see if you enjoy a hot, thick cup of hot chocolate. I have 2 recipes for you from Mexico.  One is creamier and one is a basic hot chocolate.  The spices and flavor are similar in both.  The one from the pictures is the creamy Mexican hot chocolate. This is a delicious hot chocolate.  I chose a chunky mug and dipped the mug in hot chocolate then dipped it in shaved chocolate. I topped this hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. This is definitely not a diet hot chocolate. I also use Ceylon cinnamon in my cooking and used a Ceylon cinnamon stick to garnish. I usedbittersweet chocolatefrom Kitchen Kneads as well as their dark chocolate curls. Kitchen Kneads is your one-stop shop for quality grains, flour, kitchen appliances, and other ingredients. Kitchen Kneads is your one stop shop for quality grains, flour, kitchen appliances and other ingredients. We are Utah’s premiere baking and cooking resource! Questions?
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