Cacao before chocolate
Chocolate starts with the seeds of the cacao tree, which grows in warm, humid tropical regions. Cacao has been used in Mesoamerica for a very long time, and the peoples of the region, including the Maya and the Mexica (Aztecs), prepared it as a drink. Where and when the plant was first domesticated is still studied and debated, and it is safer to say that cacao has deep roots in the region than to name a single origin.
Early accounts and archaeological finds indicate that the drink was usually served frothy, often unsweetened or only lightly sweetened, and flavoured with ingredients such as chile, vanilla, flowers or ground maize. It was associated with ceremony and with elite occasions, and cacao beans are often described as having been used as a form of currency. Exact details of its meaning varied between cultures and over time.
After the Spanish arrived, the drink was adapted to European taste: cane sugar, cinnamon and, in some versions, almonds or other additions made it sweeter and more familiar to newcomers. Chocolate then travelled to Europe, and the history of modern chocolate bars is a separate story. In Mexico itself, the older practice of grinding cacao on stone and drinking it from a cup continued.
From pod to tablet
Cacao is grown in southern Mexico, especially Tabasco and Chiapas, with a long history in Oaxaca and other areas as well. The path from pod to chocolate involves several steps:
- Harvest and fermentation. Pods are opened and the beans, with their white pulp, are fermented for several days. This develops flavour.
- Drying. The beans are dried, usually in the sun.
- Roasting and shelling. Beans are roasted and the husks removed, leaving the nibs.
- Grinding. The nibs are ground into a paste. The heat and pressure release cocoa butter, turning the paste liquid.
- Mixing. Sugar and spices, most often cinnamon, are blended in, sometimes with almonds.
- Shaping. The warm mixture is moulded into discs or tablets and left to harden.
Traditionally, grinding was done on a warmed stone, and the technique is described in the article on the metate grinder. Many producers now use mechanical mills, though some small workshops, especially in Oaxaca, still use stone. The result, often called stone-ground chocolate when made this way, has a coarser, grainier texture than the smooth bars made by industrial conching. The grains of sugar are visible, and the flavour is rustic and spiced.
The tablets are sold in round or hexagonal boxes, often scored into wedges, and they are not usually intended to be eaten as a bar, although some people nibble them. The tablet is used as an ingredient for a drink or cooking.
Preparing hot chocolate
Hot chocolate from a tablet is made by dissolving it in hot water or milk. Water is often described as the traditional choice and results in a lighter, more intensely chocolate drink, while milk gives a creamier one. A rough guide is one wedge or small portion of the tablet per cup of liquid, adjusted for taste and for the brand’s sweetness.
A basic method:
- Heat the water or milk until steaming. Avoid a hard boil, which can cause milk to scorch or boil over.
- Add the chopped or grated chocolate and stir until it melts.
- Froth the drink by spinning a wooden whisk between your palms, or by whisking vigorously.
- Serve immediately in cups or mugs.
The wooden whisk is known as a molinillo whisk, and its carved rings catch air and create foam. If you do not have one, a regular whisk or a blender works, with caution when blending hot liquid, since steam can force the lid off.
The grainy texture is not a flaw. A little sediment at the bottom of the cup is normal for stone-ground tablets.
Chocolate drinks beyond the cup
A thicker version of the same idea is a hot corn drink with chocolate, known as chocolate champurrado, which uses masa to give body. Chocolate is also served with sweet bread, especially in winter and during festivals, and it appears in holiday drinks across the year. Vanilla is a related native flavouring; its story is told in the account of Mexican vanilla, and it sometimes appears in chocolate drinks.
Chocolate in mole
One of the most distinctive uses of chocolate in Mexican cooking is in mole, a family of complex sauces. In some moles, a small amount of chocolate is used, not to make the sauce sweet like dessert, but to add bitterness, depth and colour alongside chiles, nuts, seeds, spices and sometimes fruit. Chocolate is not in every mole, and many are made without it, so it would be a mistake to assume all mole contains chocolate.
For the general idea, see the overview of mole sauce. The best-known example with chocolate is mole poblano, although not every cook uses the same amount, and the Oaxacan moles have their own varied approaches, with one of them, mole negro, typically including chocolate. The balance with dried chiles matters, since the aim is a rounded sauce rather than a sweet one. This regional context is explored more fully in the account of Oaxacan cuisine.
Choosing and storing
Tablets differ in sweetness, spice and texture. Reading the ingredient list helps: cocoa mass, sugar and cinnamon are typical, and some brands add other flavours or additives. Because products vary, trying a few is the only reliable way to find one you like.
Store tablets in a cool, dry place away from strong smells. A pale film on the surface, known as bloom, is usually just cocoa butter or sugar rising and is generally harmless, though chocolate that smells off or shows mould should be discarded. Chocolate also contains caffeine and theobromine in small amounts, which matters for people who avoid stimulants, and it can be toxic to dogs and some other pets, so keep it out of their reach.
Modern directions
Today, small makers in Mexico work directly with cacao growers, producing bars that highlight a single region or variety, and pastry cooks use these in desserts, ice cream and drinks. At the same time, the traditional spiced tablet remains a household staple. The two approaches do not compete so much as serve different purposes: one for a cup of hot chocolate and the other for tasting notes.