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There is no country in the world that has a richer, and longer, history with cacao than Mexico. Chocolate was invented in Southern Mexico by the Olmec civilization, dating back to 1900-1500 BC. It is largely unclear as to what the Olmecs did with the chocolate they produced, as the civilization kept no written records of their history. However, archeological evidence indicates that the Olmecs did indeed ferment, dry, and roast the fabled beans.
The Olmecs were succeeded by the Mayans, who made a refreshing bitter drink by mixing coarsely ground roasted cacao with ingredients such as cornmeal and chilies. The Aztecs inherited this tradition of processing chocolate and consumed cacao in a similar manner, with beverages that featured the same ingredients, but served cold. Today, chocolate is indispensable to Mexican fare.
Chocolate is still consumed as a beverage all over Mexico, with several unique staples. Popo, a cold chocolate drink flavored with rice and water, and foamed with the addition of the asquiote plant; Pozol, a cold beverage made with cacao and masa harina (a flour made using nixtamalized corn); and Champurrado, a chocolate atole (hot beverage based on masa, or corn). Mexican cuisine also features chocolate in savory dishes, Mole Poblano and Colorado Enchiladas being especially popular.
Today, the term ‘Mexican Chocolate’ is used to describe traditional Mexican chocolate discs or chocolate para mesa. The discs have long been available commercially in Mexico under the brand names Abuelita and Ibarro. The chocolate is also manufactured in the US by a company called Taza, founded by Alex Whitmore, after he saw the chocolates being made in Oaxaca, Mexico. Taza sells chocolates all over the US, with more than nine different flavors of Mexican disc chocolates on offer. The chocolate discs weigh no more than three ounces, and are often divided into four, six or eight segments. The liqueur used to make the chocolate must be made from cacao.
Cocoa, which is aerated with a conching machine, can drastically affect the taste and texture of the product and is avoided by artisans seeking to make the chocolate the traditional way. The chocolates have a coarse and grainy texture, owing to the chocolate liqueur (paste made with cacao nibs and butter) being ground coarse and the addition of granulated sugar as a sweetener. The percentages on the packaging are meant to be an indicator of the chocolate's sugar content as opposed to cocoa mass on that of other chocolates. Local artisans who make the chocolate use local cacao to manufacture the grainy discs, while large brands like Abuelita use processed cocoa as well as vegetable fats and artificial flavors. Ibarra is the only large Mexican company that uses a traditional recipe to manufacture Mexican chocolate. It uses just four ingredients: cacao paste, soy lecithin, cinnamon and sugar.
Mexican chocolates made in the same way are also available in the form of bars intended for snacking. The chocolates may feature traditional additions; spices such as cinnamon and vanilla; nuts, primarily almonds and pecans; and ground chilis, like habaneros, guajillo, or chipotle. In its simplest iteration, Mexican hot chocolate is made by tossing a segment of the disc into boiling milk and waiting for the mixture to homogenize. The resulting mixture is quite unique as far as hot chocolate goes. The texture will be the first thing you will notice as the graininess of the disc persists in the drink. The concoction is rich without being overly sweet or bitter. The Champurrado is a thick chocolate atole. It is prepared with unsweetened chocolate, cinnamon, masa harina, piloncillo (unrefined sugar, shaped like a cone), and water.
Mexican chocolate is also famously used to flavor several types of mole sauce. It is unclear as to how chocolate was first added to mole. Most historians believe that it was added out of necessity, rather than choice, as a means of making meals more filling. Several traditional mole recipes, such as the Mole Negro and the ever-popular Mole Poblano, mandate the addition of chocolate. The chocolate is usually added at the very end of the cooking process. Colorado enchiladas also feature the addition of a small amount of chocolate with the intent of adding richness.
Mexican chocolate is also increasingly being used in contemporary cooking, thanks to the efforts of companies like Taza. Several chefs and bakers have used disc chocolate in lieu of baker’s couverture in various desserts such as flans, pudding, chocolate sauces, and even cheesecakes.
