Winner Best Chocolate Drink Recipe Story
Adriana Jarrard of Charleston, SC
Recipe Story: Delicious Rounds
Ever Since I was little girl, I would look forward to my summer visits to Mexico City where I knew I would see my "abuelitos" and I would be able to taste the chocolate caliente before I even arrived. This hot chocolate recipe has been in my family for 5 generations and it dates back to an ancient Mayan tradition of using real cocoa to make a smoldering hot, delicious and decadent treat. I remember sitting around my grandparents tiny kitchen table watching my grandmother churn the chocolate patiently and with so much love. I would take my first sip of this chocolate drink and feel the thick, rich, smooth flavor of chocolate as I savored every drop. My "abuelita" taught me that the most important thing to making this "chocolate caliente" was to turn the "molinillo" very slowly while you watched the grated, real Mayan chocolate melt away. I would be amazed at the way my grandmother would use just a pinch of chile powder, knowing exactly how much cinnamon to put in, and just the right amount of salt. As I would begin to smell the chocolate fill the air, my mouth would begin to water. I get the same sensations to this day whenever I make this special hot chocolate treat.
Who I like to share it with:
I would like to share this recipe with the most gentle woman I have ever known, my grandmother; The most gracious woman I've ever known, my mother; and the person I'm most anxious to meet, my future daughter. This will never be, because my grandmother recently passed away. The recipe will live on.