Champurrado – Thick Mexican Hot Chocolate

Champurrado is a fun word to say, but there is something lovely about a cup of thick Mexican Hot Chocolate, even with the weather warming up outside, it is never a bad time to indulge in a thick cup of warming liquid chocolate. Somehow throughout the years of research into foreign dishes, including many hours spent looking for Mexican dishes that aren’t simply tacos or huevos rancheros, this recipe was not one easily found.

In my research of the origins of Champurrado (pronounced cham-poor-ah-doe), I discovered that Atole is a simpler version of this dish by combining masa and water to create a type of warming very thin porridge on cold mornings. “The word “atole” is derived from Nahuatl, the still-living language of the Aztecs, who were defeated by Hernan Cortez in 1521 in what is now Mexico City.”

Champurrado was created by adding chocolate discs to the atole (prounced ah-toe-lay stemming from this article along with the above quote) mixture and hey presto, here is this very old dish that hasn’t really changed all that much over the centuries and likely dates back to Mayan times (read about that here).

Unlike other Mexican hot chocolates, this involves no chili powder (sorry not sorry) so it doesn’t have the usual spice that most Westerners think of when they consume a Mexican hot chocolate, regardless, it still tastes like something you’d find there due to the subtle flavor of masa therein.

It’s also beautiful to see a recipe last this long without much change, time moves on and recipes often change and on this website there are already a number of recipes that look quite different today than when they were first created, with many more out there to make, but this one is a bit different. A drink I’ve taken to work that feels like home in the same way a simple tortilla does, but it includes chocolate which makes it even better!

Champurrado – Thick Mexican Hot Chocolate
Recipe adapted from Muy Bueno Cookbook
Serves 6

Ingredients:
3 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
1 anise star
1/4 cup ground masa
2 cup milk
50 grams/1.7 ounces dark chocolate
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:
Place the water, cinnamon sticks and anise star in a large saucepan on high heat and bring to the boil.

Remove from the heat and allow to sit for an hour to infuse.

Remove the cinnamon sticks and anise star and return to the heat on low. Whisk in the ground masa until smooth.

Whisk in the remaining ingredients until smooth and increase the heat, simmering until the chocolate has melted and sugar has dissolved.

Remove from the heat and pour into your serving cups.

Serve immediately.

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