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Chiapas Pozol (Cacao Corn Drink)

Name: Chiapas Pozol (Cacao Corn Drink)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 tbsp Sugar; 1 tbsp Food-grade lime; 100 g Cacao beans; 500 g White corn

50 min (30 prep + 20 cook) Easy 6 servings Chiapas

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 24 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Pre-Hispanic Chiapas drink of corn masa and cacao dissolved in cold water.

About this recipe

Pre-Hispanic drink from Chiapas made with nixtamalised corn masa and cacao, dissolved in cold water. Refreshing, nutritious and ancient.

History & Origin

Pozol is one of the oldest beverages in Mesoamerica, with origins over 3,000 years old. The Maya and Zoque peoples developed it as a complete, portable food. It was considered sacred, mentioned in ancient Maya texts. Preparation begins with nixtamal: corn cooked with lime, washed and ground. The masa is mixed with toasted cacao. The balls can be preserved for days thanks to natural lactic fermentation. In Chiapas and Tabasco, pozol remains a daily drink. Variants include white pozol, chilli pozol and sour pozol. It has gained recognition as a superfood for its natural probiotics.

Estimated cost

£3.00

Total cost

£0.50

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

180

Calories

Protein

35g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

30mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Cook 500g white corn with 1 tablespoon lime in 2 litres of water for 30 minutes. Rest overnight. Wash thoroughly.
💡 If you have ready-made masa, use 400g and skip to step 3.
2
Grind the nixtamal until you get a smooth, homogeneous masa.
3
Toast 100g cacao beans on a griddle over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Peel and grind to fine powder.
💡 The cacao must not burn.
4
Mix the masa with ground cacao, kneading well. Form 100g balls.
💡 Balls keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
5
To serve, dissolve one ball in 350ml cold water. Sweeten to taste. Serve well chilled.
💡 In Chiapas it is served in gourd cups with ice.