OAXACA = CACAO = CHOC-O-LATTE!

Right. That’s not how you spell chocolate. But that’s how you say it in México. And we’re not talking about “lattes”. But think Oaxaca, think chocolate. Most people think of mole (and I don’t mean the kind in a jar) when they think of Oaxaca and chocolate. But there’s a lot more to it than that. And it isn’t confined to Oaxaca, though it’s certainly more prevalent there.

Let’s talk “fruit trees”. I was told that the cacao tree is indigenous to the rain forests of Guatemala. Most recently I’ve read that the cacao tree grows best in the evergreen forests near the equator where rainfall, humidity and shade provide the perfect conditions. I’ve also read that the trees are being raised domestically on plantation settings in several states of México and the Gulf of Honduras. My latest source says that the 15-25′ cacao tree originated in the Amazon Basin of Brazil, Columbia and Peru and that currently 70% comes from West Africa, Peru, Venezuela and South America, as well as the Caribbean. 90% are grown on small family farms, some being ethical fair trade communities, with 5% coming from large commercial plantations. Check out http//:www.icco.org for more official information on the cacao plant and its commercial management (affiliate of the United Nations).

In Central and South America chocolate has been historically used for medicinal, spiritual and ceremonial purposes for hundreds of years. In Mayan tradition cacao means “heart blood” and refers to “the opening of our hearts”. Accordingly, chocolate is believed to be a mild stimulant that increases the flow of blood and oxygen in our bodies, releases endorphins and dopamine, boosts our immunity, and decreases cholesterol and blood pressure. It is noted to be high in iron, magnesium, B vitamins and antioxidants. But more on this in a future post.

Chocolate is a daily staple in central Mexico, often consumed at each meal as well as at celebrations. Though most of us think of chocolate in terms of commercial candy bars and hot cocoa, my focus here is on hot chocolate and other indigenous beverages. The term “cocoa” is generally used to refer to the cacao beans once they have been roasted. But real cacao is the unprocessed, grainy version of the unrefined beans and has a slightly bitter taste. I realized there were differences a few years ago when I asked our Ajijic chocolatier (he makes delicious chocolate bars) if he got his chocolate in Oaxaca. “Nope. Too grainy. I get my chocolate from Columbia, South America.” That led me to discovering the distinction between a “chocolatier” and a “chocolate maker” who creates chocolate from cacao beans and other ingredients such as sugar and almonds.

Maybe the closest you can get to Mexican style “hot chocolate” in most US grocery stores are the boxes of round tablets sold as the brands “ABUELITA” and “IBBARA” (my preference, with its deeper, grainier chocolate flavor), but I’ve read that their cacao comes from Africa since it is more plentiful and less expensive. In my opinion these commercial brands do not compare with handmade Oaxacan chocolate. The closest I came to the real thing before going to Oaxaca was TAZA organic chocolate tablets, a fair trade product, on Amazon, and though they are quite pricey, they have a wonderful flavor and in my opinion come closest to authentic Mexican tablets.

In Tlacalula, a small town about an hour from Oaxaca City, I visited the town chocolate maker and watched as a young woman ground the fermented cacao beans into a liquidy paste in the store’s molino (grinding mill). It is that paste that becomes the hard block of chocolate we know. Fermenting the beans destroys the “coat”, kills germs and enhances the flavor. Stepping through the crowd to the sales window I was given more options for purchase than I expected and “settled for” plain tablets with less sugar and “sticks” mixed with sugar and ground almonds. I’ve learned since that I could’ve chosen plain cacao and added what I wanted later. It is traditional to mix the tablets or sticks with water (though milk has become more common also) and whisk with a carved molinillo (mole-ah-knee-yo) until frothy. I’ve had no luck with this so far. Not sure what the secret is. Yet.

Just so you don’t think “hot chocolate” is the only drink in México, let’s take a look at some others that you’re likely to find in the early morning food stalls of Oaxaca City and the villages beyond.

Café de olla (“coffee from a pot”) is one of my favorites and I’ve learned to make it right here at home, being somewhat successful in capturing the authentic flavor. The little restaurant in the middle of Ajijic that I’ve mentioned before is where I have my weekly cup of the locally made version. The owner, Elena, makes hers in the traditional clay pot, said to enhance the flavor. She’s been trying to find one of those pots for me but so far no luck. Recently she told me if I’d come by on a weekday morning around 9 she’d show me how she makes her version. She seemed excited that I wanted to learn.

So yesterday I decided to take Elena up on her offer to teach me how to make café de olla with her recipe, the recipe handed down to her from her mother many years ago. Elena heats water in her large clay pot then drops in 1 tablet of Ibarra chocolate, 2 large cinnamon sticks, 6 large cones of piloncillo (compacted dark brown sugar), 3 cloves and 3 peppercorns. All this is followed by 10 heaping tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee. The mixture is allowed to come to a low boil for 10 minutes before serving. I can only say – if I did make this batch myself – YUM! (Elena also told me that when she came to Ajijic 48 years ago many local people grew their own coffee plants and ground their own beans. As expats moved in and the town population grew the plants disappeared and coffee began being imported from places like Oaxaca, Veracruz and Chiapas. Not the same, she laments.)

Recipes for café de olla vary from family to family and are passed down generation to generation, with the family matriarch overseeing the entire process. Legend has it that long, cold nights during the Mexican Revolution may have led to finding ways – like café de olla – sometimes to enhance old, reheated coffee. The clay pot and cups are said to retain the heat and lend an earthy flavor to the coffee. Most recipes include dark roast coffee, piloncillo (cones of dark brown sugar), cinnamon, cloves and sometimes chocolate or peppercorns. Though I’m referencing Ajijic here, this drink is popular throughout Oaxaca and other areas of México.

Tejate (tay-ha-tay) In my post about Oaxaca last month I mentioned this delicious drink. Made from fermented cacao beans (fermenting in large outdoor, covered bins destroys the “coat” and the “germ” and increases the flavor), toasted corn, toasted pits of the tropical fruit known as mamey and cacao flowers, this prehispanic recipe varies by region, city and family. This delicious and nutrient rich treat is poured from above into the serving container to produce the foamy surface created by the cocoa butter, then served (with or without added sugar water) in colorful decorated gourd shells. Its odd color put me off at first but a young Mexican man savoring his own cup convinced me to try it. No regrets.

I realized after seeing this in the Tlacalula market that I had unknowingly witnessed the creation of tejate in a home in Teotitlán Del Valle, a few minutes from Oaxaca City, on my visit in 2019. I watched as several women gathered on the floor of the home of a family in celebration. Their son had just been chosen for the lead position in La Danza de la Plume, a great honor and 3 year commitment. As the women fell into rhythm and song together grinding the mix on their volcanic stone metates for what seemed like hours (probably 1), the ground substance was gathered and patted into balls. Before leaving each guest received some of the laborious results wrapped in a banana leaf. A delightful, nutritious treat.

Champurrado. I haven’t come across this drink yet but its ingredients are listed as milk, corn flour (masa marina), sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract and cacao. It is a cousin of the popular atole, which omits the chocolate and cinnamon. The Aztecs invented champurrado, which is served super hot (cuídate!) next to a nice chunk of Mexican bread or a tamale.

Oaxaca has a deep connection to chocolate, to cacao, greatly due to its large population of indigenous peoples. Oaxaca, and México, are the most important areas of the world known for the preservation of historical chocolate (cacao) drink recipes and tools such as the metate and molinillo. One author (http//:missionchocolaterecies.com) said: “I have been to every country in Europe and Latin America that is considered important in the world of chocolate, and nothing comes close to Oaxaca.” And THAT is enough to make me go back!

For recipes & fun facts: http//:www.eater.com & http//:www.isabeleats.com