Oaxacan Hot Chocolate with Water

History & Origin

Chocolate de agua is the oldest and purest way to drink chocolate, a tradition dating back to the Mesoamerican peoples who domesticated cacao over 3,500 years ago. Whilst in Europe chocolate is associated with milk, in Oaxaca the traditional way is with water, just as the Zapotecs and Mixtecs prepared it before the Spanish conquest. Oaxacan hot chocolate is made with artisanal chocolate tablets from Oaxaca's famous markets, where mills toast and grind cacao with sugar, cinnamon and almonds. The key is the whisking: traditionally a molinillo (wooden whisk) is spun between the palms to create abundant, creamy froth. This chocolate is lighter than milk-based versions and allows one to appreciate the cacao's nuances better.