Why is Mexican chocolate different?

Why is Mexican chocolate different?

Not only does Mexican chocolate have a rougher texture and bitter flavor, but it also serves a completely different purpose. Compared to milk or semi-sweet chocolate, Mexican chocolate is minimally processed. It still retains much of its rustic flavor and texture, and the bitter cacao bean flavor is easy to taste.

Did chocolate originate in Mexico?

Chocolate’s 4,000-year history began in ancient Mesoamerica, present day Mexico. It’s here that the first cacao plants were found. They believed that chocolate was a gift from the god Quetzalcoatl, and drank it as a refreshing beverage, an aphrodisiac, and even to prepare for war.

Does Mexico eat chocolate?

The History of Authentic Mexican Chocolate Traditionally, Mexicans use chocolate in baking and cooking. It sweetens cakes and goes into decadent savory dishes. While it is one of the more complex flavors of Mexican cuisine, chocolate shows up throughout the food culture of Mexico.

Is chocolate made in Europe?

The four top chocolate-producing countries are Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Poland. Belgium is one of the largest producers, and much of the chocolate is still made by hand.

Is Mexican hot chocolate actually Mexican?

The fact that the brand uses the terms “Mexican hot chocolate” does not mean that it was made with Mexican cacao; it means it is a style of drinking chocolate. Even if you purchase the Mexican chocolate in Mexico from Mexicans, it might be cacao from Africa or another country.

Why is it called Mexican chocolate?

Since the Spanish conquered much of MesoAmerica and what is today Mexico, it makes sense that Mexican Chocolate would then be both a drink and a bar or solid form of chocolate, a collaboration of Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, Spanish and various European cultures.

How did chocolate come to Europe?

Chocolate arrived in Europe during the 1500s, likely brought by both Spanish friars and conquistadors who had traveled to the Americas.

Where does Mexican chocolate come from?

In short, Mexican Chocolate differs from European Chocolate in processing, texture and origin. Theobroma Cacao, the scientific name for the tree that produces cacao pods, is native to South America and was first used and cultivated by the Ancient Mesoamerican Olmec, Mayan and Aztec cultures.

Which country is the origin of chocolate?

The history of chocolate can be traced to the ancient Mayans, and even earlier to the ancient Olmecs of southern Mexico. The word chocolate may conjure up images of sweet candy bars and luscious truffles, but the chocolate of today is little like the chocolate of the past.

Where is the birthplace of chocolate?

Guatemala
Guatemala is touted as the birthplace of chocolate, and there’s nowhere better than Antigua to discover the story behind the cacao bean and its importance in Mayan history.

Did Aztecs invent chocolate?

Chocolate invented 3,100 years ago by the Aztecs – but they were trying to make beer. Scientists have discovered that chocolate was invented at least 3,100 years ago in Central America and not as the sweet treat people now crave, but as a celebratory beer-like beverage and status symbol.

Is Abuelita chocolate made in Africa?

Although Abuelita is made in Mexico, the company that owns the iconic hot cocoa brand is the Swiss Corporation Nestle. According to United Press International, Nestle bought Fabrica de Chocolates la Azteca, the company that makes Abuelita, from Quaker Oats in 1994, who had initially acquired the brand in the 1970s.