The first thing to know about Mexican chocolate is that it’s not really meant to be cut. Instead, it’s meant to be dissolved in milk or hot water. While it was once impossible to cut a bar of this chocolate, modern versions contain fractions to make it easier to cut. The traditional thick texture is also preserved. Read on to learn more about the process of making Mexican chocolate. And don’t forget to try it!
Mexican chocolate is made from cacao beans
Most Mexican chocolate is made with unfermented cacao, which is also called washed cacao lavado. Farmers chop up the cacao fruit, remove the seeds, and wash it with water. Then they leave it to dry in the sun for six to fifteen days. You can find unfermented cacao at Latin grocery stores in the U.S. — you can recognize it by its flat surface. Fermented chocolate is generally more expensive.
The cacao tree has been used by indigenous peoples in Mexico for thousands of years. The Aztecs valued cacao as a sacred plant and traded it as currency. The Mayans drank cacao-based drinks like Chocolatl. Columbus brought cacao back to Europe in the early 16th century, but he did not realize its economic value. In 1519, the Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus brought cacao beans back to Spain and made them a luxury drink for the upper class.
While the average Mexican will argue that Mexico is the origin country of cacao, the genetic origin of the bean is in the Amazon Basin. This myth is implanted by government-issued textbooks and a widespread belief among the Mexican population. However, historical archaeological research points to a region in El Salvador where cacao was first cultivated and chocolate was born. Then the culture’s natives began using the Pipil language to produce chocolate.
Cacao production in Mexico never achieved international prominence during the Spanish conquest. During colonial times, cacao was imported to Europe from South America and the Caribbean. Only very rarely did cacao come from continental North America. This is because cacao plant diseases were introduced in those areas and cacao production declined as a result. The Spanish conquest, however, was not peaceful and cacao exports were in single digits prior to the Mexican Revolution.
It already contains sugar
When it comes to making your own homemade chocolate, the first thing that comes to mind is that you don’t want to go too heavy with the sugar content. Although you can eat Mexican chocolate on its own, it is usually used in drinks and recipes. Since it is already high in sugar, you don’t want to add more. Here are some ways you can make it healthier. Try soaking a cinnamon stick in milk.
When you are making Mexican chocolate, you should always look for a brand that does not contain too much sugar. It’s best to go with a high-quality brand that is able to make the product in small batches. Look for a brand that uses traditional methods of chocolate making. These types are usually more flavorful and authentic. ChocoVivo is one brand that tries to use traditional methods of chocolate production.
If you don’t want to use a molinillo, you can always use a whisk. You’ll need to keep stirring the chocolate for a few minutes to make sure that it doesn’t burn. While the Mexicans use tall pots, you can also use a sauce pan. Whatever you decide, be sure that you’re careful not to use too much sugar. While it might seem difficult to cut a Mexican chocolate bar, the flavor of the chocolate is worth the extra effort.
To make Mexican chocolate even sweeter, try adding cinnamon to the top. The Aztecs believed that the cacao bean was a gift from the god Quetzalcoatl, and they used the bean as a currency. Traditionally, Mexican chocolate was made using spices and chili peppers. Today, this type of chocolate is often used in other dishes and drinks. If you make it at home, you can even add it to a hot chocolate.
It has a rustic texture
Mexican chocolate is a rustic confection that has a rough, uneven texture. It is made with beans that are fermented on the farm and roasted, and then ground into a liquor. This liquor is not refined or added to cocoa butter, thereby giving it a more authentic bean-to-bar flavor. The cocoa beans used in Mexican chocolate are usually organic, sustainably grown, and purchased from small farmers in the Dominican Republic.
The flavor of Mexican chocolate is intense, but it’s not as smooth as the other types of chocolate. Its rustic texture and flavor are the result of the cacao fruit itself, and it doesn’t get as much processing as other chocolates. As a result, this chocolate lacks the smoothing effects of a conching machine, which smoothes out chocolate liquor and mellows the flavor of the cacao fruit.
The main difference between Mexican chocolate and European-style chocolate is the flavor. Mexican chocolate is bolder and more bitter than European chocolate. Because it’s made with less cocoa butter, it has more pronounced flavors that complement warming spices. If you’re not a chocolate lover, you can substitute another dark chocolate with Mexican-style. If you’re a chocolate lover, you’ll surely enjoy the unique flavors and textures of Mexican chocolate.
In Mexico, most chocolate is consumed as a liquid. In southern Mexico, it’s served hot. Hot chocolate is a traditional drink, similar to coffee. But in Mexico, it’s made from the finest cacao beans, and it’s often accompanied by a splash of sugar. The sugar adds sweetness and softens the chocolate. In Mexico, a high-quality Mexican chocolate bar will contain around 80 percent of sugar, which is much sweeter than most dark chocolate.
It is cheaper than mass-produced varieties
A few things distinguish Mexican chocolate from other types. First, Mexican chocolate is much cheaper. It is made without cocoa butter, which makes many other varieties of chocolate rich and smooth. Second, the flavor and texture of Mexican chocolate are different from those of mass-produced varieties. Third, Mexican chocolate goes well with warm spices and is a lot more authentic. Compared to mass-produced chocolate, Mexican chocolate is richer and has more complex flavors. Fourth, it is made using traditional methods.
The first difference between Mexican chocolate and mass-produced chocolates is the cacao used. The cacao used in Mexican chocolate is unfermented and is also known as «cacao lavado» or «washed cacao». Farmers harvest the cacao fruit from the jungles of Ecuador and Peru and then wash the fruit in water for between six and fifteen days before grinding it. Unfermented cacao is available in most Latin grocery stores in the US, and its surface looks similar to that of fermented chocolate.
The second difference is in the price. The price of Mexican chocolates is much lower than the mass-produced varieties. The Mexican cacao industry is growing at a fast rate and is eager to source more of its domestic chocolate needs, assuming conditions improve. However, there is still a lingering debate over the direction the industry should take. In particular, the local market should be considered as well. The majority of chocolates sold in the US are mass-produced.
It is made by hand
Traditionally, Mexican chocolate is in the form of a disc or log, and it is still made by hand in many regions. It is not milk-based, and the cacao beans are unrefined, but rather refined by pressing them. The cacao beans are mixed with spices, nuts, and chiles, and some chocolates even contain lavender and popped amaranth. For the best results, Mexican chocolate should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. It should keep for six months to a year, or even longer if properly stored.
Some traditional Mexican chocolate is used to make hot chocolate. It can be made with either water or milk. The traditional way is to use a clay pot and a molinillo, which is a wooden rod that’s used to stir hot chocolate. The Molinillo is spun in the pot, much like rubbing your hands together in cold weather. The process results in a thick layer of foam that coats the chocolate. The chocolate is poured into mugs for consumption.
Throughout history, Mexican chocolate has evolved into an international phenomenon. In the 18th century, chocolate consumption in Mexico began to decline as the ruling elite switched to European coffee imports. However, the common man continued to enjoy the sweet treat, and chocolate consumption rose, particularly among the working class. The working class also became increasingly fond of Mexican chocolate, resulting in the creation of syncretic chocolate de taza. Throughout the centuries, the raw cacao was ground in regional ways, which lowered its quality. As a result, the chocolate of Mexico today is made largely from washed cacao rather than fermented cocoa.
The chocolate is traditionally made in two shapes, with the most common being a disc cut into triangles. It is also referred to as «drinking chocolate» because it is used in hot milk, but it is not exclusively a drink. Mexican chocolate is available as a candy bar. If you are curious, try out a sample and see what you think. This chocolate is an excellent way to indulge your sweet tooth!
