A Sip of Heaven: Chocolate Champurrado

“Es tan santo el chocolate, que de rodillas se muele, juntas las manos se bate y viendo al cielo se bebe.”

  -Refrán popular mexicano

“Chocolate is so holy that you must kneel down to grind it; put your hands together to churn it, and look to the Heavens to drink it “.

-Mexican folk saying

Chocolate, or Xocoóatl, in Náhuatl, was an important ceremonial drink in pre-Columbian cultures. Its importance was such, that seeds of the cacao tree were not only offered to gods, they were also used as currency. Considered nutritious and even medicinal, chocolate made its way to Europe via Mexico.

Serves 4 cups

Ingredients

• 4 cups of water
• 1/2 sprig of cinnamon
• 5 tbsp of brown sugar or a small piece of piloncillo of around 2.5 oz
• 5 tbsp of tortilla masa
• 1.5 oz of handmade chocolate. I got the chocolate for my champurrado as a gift during my last trip to Mexico! You may replace it with a piece of chocolate for atole (in the U.S., you may find it in your ethnic food aisle under brands such as Abuelita or Ybarra). Using the latter might make the champurrado a bit sweeter, so reduce sugar.
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Dilute the masa in 2 cups of cold water until there are no clumps.
2. Boil the remaining water with the sugar and cinnamon.
3. Incorporate the corn masa while mixing constantly on low heat.
4. Add the vanilla and the chocolate.
5. Continue to mix constantly for about 15 minutes or until the mix reaches the desired thickness.
6. This time, I added a pod of cascabel pepper for flavor! You can add a piece of dry pepper without its seeds if you want. We chose a sweeter pepper.
7. Champurrado is a very thick drink. If you like it a bit lighter, you might reduce the amount of masa you add.

Enjoy!