Champurrado is a chocolate-based '' atole'', a warm and thick

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

beverage. It is prepared with either ''

masa de maíz ''Masa'' (or ''masa de maíz'') (; ) is a maize dough that comes from ground nixtamalized corn. It is used for making corn tortillas, ''gorditas'', ''tamales'', ''pupusas'', and many other Latin American dishes. It is dried and powdered into a f ...

'' ( lime-treated corn dough),'' masa harina'' (a dried version of this dough), or

corn flour Cornflour may refer to: * Cornflour (in the UK), corn starch, from the endosperm of the kernel of the corn (maize) grain * Corn flour (in the US and elsewhere), very finely ground cornmeal, ground from dried maize See also * Flour * Starch * Gl ...

(simply very finely ground dried corn, especially local varieties grown for ''atole''); '' piloncillo''; water or milk; and occasionally containing

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfa ...

anise Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and ta ...

seed, or vanilla. Ground nuts, orange zest, and egg can also be added to thicken and enrich the drink. ''Atole'' drinks are whipped up using a wooden whisk called a '' molinillo''. The whisk is rolled between the palms of the hands, then moved back and forth in the mixture until it is aerated and frothy; a blender may also be used. Champurrado is traditionally served with '' churros'' in the morning as a simple breakfast or as a late afternoon

snack A snack is a small portion of food generally eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at home. Traditionally, snacks are p ...

. Champurrado is also very popular during Day of the Dead and at '' Las Posadas'' (during the Christmas season), where it is served alongside '' tamales''. Champurrado may also be made with alcohol.

History

Chocolate is native to Mexico, and it was first cultivated by the

Mayas The Maya peoples () are an ethnolinguistic group of indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people who lived within that historical reg ...

and the

Aztecs The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...

. The Mayans used the cocoa beans in various ceremonies such as marriage and trade. Natives drank chocolate with corn puree, or masa. These drinks were thought of as magical and upon drinking, would give the drinker power and strength.
Champurrado Recipe and History: Enjoy it on December 12, Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe. In the sixteenth century, Spain invaded the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

numerous times and brought back many items to Spain, including chocolate. The chocolate was drunk pure and heated. This was a luxury and something only aristocrats could afford as only the very rich could afford prized cocoa beans. Over time, the drink was changed. Early Spanish colonists adapted a beverage created in ancient Aztec times composed of water and masa harina. They changed it by adding sugar, milk, and chocolate. Since

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...

(originally from Southeast Asia) came to the Americas sometime after Europeans did, chocolate was said to have an acquired taste as it comes off as bitter without added sweetener. The Spaniards created a drink consisting of chocolate, vanilla, and other spices which was served chilled. This drink cannot be compared to modern-day hot chocolate as it was very spicy and bitter, contrasting with the modern notion of very sweet, warm chocolate. Champorado2

The invention of champurrado shows the adaptation of ancient practices by European colonialists. Upon the production of the drink, special tools like the molinillo were made to assist in the making of the drink which is now also used to make traditional hot chocolate in former Spanish colonies. There are many versions of champurrado in different countries. A unique variant in the Philippines is champorado. Although adapted directly from Mexican champurrado via the Manila galleons, it differs in that it uses whole grains of

glutinous rice Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...

instead of ''masa''. Instead of a drink, it is a sweet rice porridge traditionally eaten during cold rainy days and in the Christmas season. Many Latin Americans, especially

Mexicans Mexicans ( es, mexicanos) are the citizens of the United Mexican States. The most spoken language by Mexicans is Spanish language, Spanish, but some may also speak languages from 68 different Languages of Mexico, Indigenous linguistic groups ...

, love to enjoy a cup of champurrado around the holidays when the weather tends to get colder. According to most who drink champurrado, it is a delicious beverage and highly differs from hot chocolate according to its taste and texture. The taste of the beverage also varies based on how it was made.

Terminology

Champurrado is a type of atole with its main characteristic consisting of chocolate. The difference between traditional hot chocolate and champurrado is the use of ''masa harina ''(

). Atole is made by toasting masa on a griddle, then adding water that has been boiled with

sticks. The resulting blends vary in texture, ranging from a

porridge Porridge is a food made by heating or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, (dried) fruit or syrup to make a sweet cereal, ...

to a very thin, liquid consistency. In northern Mexico, a variation is also made using ''pinole'' (sweetened toasted corn meal). Although atole is one of the traditional drinks of the Mexican holidays Day of the Dead and Las Posadas, it is very common during breakfast and dinner time at any time of year. It is usually sold as street food but can be found in various Latin restaurants. The inclusion of chocolate to the atole gives birth to champurrado. There are many different types of recipes to make champurrado. Different states in Mexico for example, use spices to enhance its taste. When going for an authentic champurrado, Mexican chocolate such as the "

Abuelita Abuelita is a chocolate tablet, syrup, or powdered mix in individual packets, made by Nestlé and used to make Mexican-style hot chocolate, also known as ''chocolate para mesa'' (English: "table chocolate"). It was originally invented and commerc ...

" brand is used, which is very popular in Mexico and can easily be found at local American Latino grocery stores or in "International" aisles. Cooking champurrado in a clay pot is also traditional and brings out the flavor even further.

Usage

Atole and the traditions behind it go back centuries to ancient Mexico. Five to six thousand years ago,

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

studies in Mexico have shown that they were making atole the same way they are making it today. Atole is a drink made with masa, finely ground corn flour, and only when chocolate is added does it become champurrado. "The word 'Atole' is derived from Nahuatl, the still-living language of the Aztecs. Atole was popular long before the arrival of Spanish conquistador

Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquess of the Valley of Oaxaca (; ; 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of w ...

in 1521. The Aztec culture have consumed this drink for centuries and that comes to no surprise as atole is one of the easiest ways to consume corn as it was first cultivated in the Americas." To create this drink in a traditional way, a kitchen utensil existing since prehistoric times called metate is used: "a piece of porous volcanic rock on three legs tilted for use as grinding surface. The grinding is done by passing back and forth over this surface with an oblong piece of the same material. Throughout history this process was never done by a man. Women kneeled down grinding the corn using the oblong tool and the weight of her body. Grinding the kernels is a slow and tiresome process but comes the masa needed to produce atole and champurrado."

References

{{Christmas Non-alcoholic drinks Mexican drinks Maize-based drinks Chocolate drinks Hot drinks Mesoamerican cuisine Christmas food Day of the Dead food Cuisine of the Southwestern United States