It's the time of year for warm, comforting and delightful drinks. But while hot chocolate may get all the love, I prefer another option: champurrado.
Champurrado, as it is known in Mexico, is a thick and creamy chocolate corn-based drink that dates back thousands of years. It is made with just a few simple ingredients: water (or milk of your choice), masa harinachocolate, piloncillo or dark brown sugar and spices (usually cinnamonalthough anise, cloves, or nutmeg sometimes included, as well as VANILLA).
Champurrado is the chocolate version of a category of drink known as atole: A thick, warm, sweet mass-made drink originating in Mexico and Central America. Although very popular during November and December holidays (such as Posadas, Christmas and Día de los Muertos), champurrado can be enjoyed at any time of the year and at different times of the day. Regardless of the sugar, it's often served as a fortifying breakfast meal, along with a piece of toast or pastry to dip into the velvety drink (perhaps Corn shell?). You can also consume it later in the day, as an afternoon snack or a satisfying night tea before bed.
Notably, champurrado includes corn and cacao, two staple foods of ancient Mesoamerican cultures that provide both nutrition and flavor. When we drink it, we are connected to this human history and time-honored food traditions: chocolate, known as cacao in its raw form, was highly prized in Mesoamerica and considered a ceremonial food, worlds apart from candy that we experience. today, while the mass was the foundation for the cuisine of entire civilizations throughout the Americas.
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
The drink gets its porridge-like texture and a nutritional boost from the nixtamalized corn that is an integral part of the recipe, either in the form of fresh masa (corn batter) or masa harina (corn flour). Both are made with nixtamalized corn, which has been treated to unlock a variety of vitamins and minerals in the kernels. Since fresh masa has a short shelf life and is harder to find, masa harina is a great option and beyond champurrado it can be used to make a variety of other delicious recipes such as the tortillas OR chubby.
Adding masa also gives champurrado its characteristic creamy feel, meaning you can make this drink with just water as a base and still get a delicious drink, or you can make it with milk or cream, which further enriches the drink. (Plant-based milk works well, too.)
How to make champurrado
The process of making champurrado is quick and simple. First choose your liquid of choice (water or milk) and heat it gently in a small pot along with the spices of your choice.
Next, add the chocolate and stir until melted. The chocolate component is key here: While hot chocolate is usually made from cocoa powder, champurrado uses melted chocolate to give the drink an unparalleled silkiness. I usually look for stone ground options such as CUPbecause of the special taste and texture they offer. Usually found as discs, they are a mixture of roasted cocoa beans, finely ground with sugar, with spices and sometimes nuts added.
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Mitchell Maher
Finally, stir in the masa harina and continue mixing on low heat until it reaches your desired texture. The final consistency is up to you: the hotter and longer you cook it, the thicker it can get. If it seems too thin, just cook and stir longer, and if it gets too thick, you can always add more stock to thin it out. Champurrado also tends to thicken as it cools, so if you have extra that seems too thick, just add it to a blender with more liquid, blend until smooth, then transfer to a saucepan to gently heat.
Beyond a warm and sweet cooking champurrado it's a way to experience the comforting combination of two very special local ingredients in modern times, a delicious history lesson in a cup.
Cover photo and food styling by Liz Neily.
