1000 Foods (pgs. 652 – 653)

            Most people enjoy hot chocolate, especially when it’s cold outside. Today, good quality mix is affordable and widely available, but when they were first invented, chocolate drinks were a luxury. Chocolate was first discovered in Central America. The Maya loved it, and the Aztecs traded for cocoa beans, which didn’t grow in their homeland near modern Mexico City. Cocoa beans were even used as currency. Counterfeit beans made of clay were frequently a problem, which demonstrates just how valuable chocolate was. Because it was labor-intensive to grow and process, Mesoamerican chocolate was a drink for the rich.

            The chocolate that Pre-Columbian kings and nobles drank was very different from chocolate today. Typically, it was cold and bitter. Mesoamericans often flavored the chocolate with flowers, vanilla, or even chilies, but rarely sweetened it. They didn’t have sugar, but why they didn’t utilize other sweeteners is a mystery. Maybe it was just a matter of taste. What they did do was pour the chocolate between two cups before serving, to create a nice foam.

            Exactly why the Maya, Aztecs, and other native groups went crazy for unsweetened chocolate is unclear, but maybe they appreciated its fat content enough to overcome the bitter taste. Maybe they liked the caffeine content and eventually got used to the flavor. Or maybe it was chocolate’s reputation as an aphrodisiac. Regardless, the Aztecs were importing and collecting massive quantities of cocoa beans as tribute when the Spanish showed up.

            At first, the Spanish couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. Many thought it was dangerous, that it caused leprosy, or that it would make their beards fall out. Soon some of them decided to risk it, probably because of its alleged aphrodisiac qualities. Eventually, they began adding sugar and milk, removing the chili peppers, adding spices like cinnamon, and serving it hot. Once the recipe was adjusted, chocolate was brought from Mexico to Spain, then the rest of Europe. Until the 19^th Century, there was no chocolate candy. It was always a drink.

            Mexican hot chocolate can be thought of as an example of “fusion cuisine,” from long before the term was coined. Cocoa beans and the vanilla often used to as a flavoring are native to Mesoamerica. Europeans introduced sugar and dairy cattle to the Americas. They also brought cinnamon, the other main flavoring, which originated in Asia.

            One of the best-known Mexican hot chocolate brands is Ibarra. I was able to find it at a local Mexican grocery. Each container has multiple solid tablets, which each make four servings. They are sort of like baking chocolate, but grittier from sugar crystals spread through the mix. It’s super easy to make. Just add the tablet and some milk in a saucepan, and heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture steams. Constant whisking helps prevent scorching and makes it frothy. Using an immersion blender after cooking adds extra froth.

            Using chocolate tablets instead of cocoa powder gave the hot chocolate a smooth, creamy texture, but it was a little on the sweet side. This is easy enough to remedy by adding an extra cup of milk and adding a square of bittersweet baking chocolate. The cinnamon flavor wasn’t very strong, but that might be due to the type of cinnamon in question. In the US and Canada, cassia cinnamon is the default, but in Latin America, it’s Ceylon or “soft stick” cinnamon. Since I was looking for the stronger flavor of cassia cinnamon, I might have missed it. Regardless, it was an excellent winter drink.

To make it, here’s what you need:

• 5 cups milk (I used 2%)
• 1 Ibarra hot chocolate tablet
• 1 square (1/2 oz) bittersweet baking chocolate

And here’s what you do:

1. Heat the milk and chocolates in a saucepan on medium heat, whisking constantly to fully blend the ingredients and prevent scorching.
2. When the mixture steams, remove from heat and either whisk vigorously or use an immersion blender to make it foamy.
3. Ladle the mixture into cups and serve, making sure each cup has some foam.