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Xocolatl (Frothed Spiced Chocolate Drink)

The Quirky Foodster Team

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4
Servings

Ingredients

  • Unsweetened cacao paste or 100% dark chocolate, finely chopped — 50 g (1.75 oz)
  • Water — 500 ml (2 cups)
  • Ground dried chili — 1/4 tsp
  • Ground cinnamon (regional addition, optional) — 1/4 tsp
  • Honey (optional; xocolatl was traditionally unsweetened or only lightly sweetened) — 1 tbsp
  • Fine salt — 1 pinch

Method

  1. Heat the water in a small saucepan over medium heat until just steaming, not boiling.
  2. Add the chopped cacao paste or dark chocolate and whisk continuously until fully melted and combined.
  3. Stir in the ground chili, cinnamon if using, and salt.
  4. Remove from the heat and add honey to taste, if using.
  5. Whisk vigorously for 1-2 minutes, or use a traditional molinillo twirled rapidly between the palms, until a thick foam forms on the surface.
  6. For extra froth, pour the drink back and forth between two pitchers or cups from a height several times.
  7. Pour into cups, ensuring each serving gets a good amount of foam, and serve warm.

Introduction: A rich, bitter, frothy drink of ground cacao whisked with water and warming spices, xocolatl was a prestigious beverage reserved chiefly for Mexica nobility, warriors and merchants.

Cultural Background: Cacao beans were so highly valued by the Mexica that they were also used as a form of currency, and xocolatl itself, from which the word ‘chocolate’ derives, was consumed unsweetened and often mixed with chili, achieving its characteristic thick foam by being poured repeatedly between vessels from a height. It was closely associated with rank and ceremony, drunk by emperors, successful warriors and at important negotiations.

Tips: Use the highest quality, most unsweetened chocolate or cacao paste you can find for the most historically authentic, deep flavour. A traditional wooden molinillo, if you can find one, creates a particularly good foam and is worth seeking out for an authentic experience.

Variations: Serve cold over ice for a refreshing modern variation on a traditionally warm drink. A few drops of vanilla extract, another Mesoamerican native flavour, can be added for extra fragrance.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheating: Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly to restore the foam, until warmed through.

Nutrition: Per serving (approx.): 130 kcal, 2 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 3 g fibre, 60 mg sodium.

FAQs:

Q: Is xocolatl sweet like modern hot chocolate?

A: Traditionally it was unsweetened or only very lightly sweetened and often quite bitter and spicy, a marked contrast to the heavily sweetened hot chocolate familiar today.

Q: What gives xocolatl its characteristic foam?

A: Vigorous whisking or pouring the liquid repeatedly between vessels from a height incorporates air and the natural fats in the cacao, creating a thick, long-lasting foam.

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