Chocolate de Mixco is an artisanal chocolate tablet made from toasted, stone-ground cacao, typical of the municipality of Mixco, with its production process declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2009.
Its production preserves techniques passed down from generation to generation, resulting in a thick, aromatic chocolate ideal for preparing traditional hot drinks.
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Guatemalan Chocolate de Mixco
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 tablets
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: Guatemalan
Ingredients
- 1/2 kg of cacao beans (about 1.1 lb)
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 of cinnamon stick
- to taste of allspice (optional) (optional)
Instructions
- Toast the cacao, toast the cacao beans on a griddle over medium heat, stirring constantly until fragrant.
- Peel, let cool slightly and peel the cacao beans to remove the husk.
- Grind on stone, grind the peeled cacao on a grinding stone (metate) together with the cinnamon and, if using, the allspice, until you get a paste.
- Add the sugar, add the sugar to the cacao paste and continue grinding until fully incorporated.
- Shape the tablets, while the paste is still warm and pliable, shape small tablets or balls with your hands.
- Dry, let the tablets dry at room temperature until fully hardened.
- Store, store the tablets in a cool, dry place to preserve their aroma.
Tips for getting it right
- Toasting the cacao over medium heat, without rushing, is essential to develop its characteristic aroma without burning it.
- Grinding on a traditional stone (metate) gives a more rustic, authentic texture than what’s achieved with electric processors.
- Shaping the tablets while the paste is still warm makes it easier to form them before it hardens.
- Chocolate de Mixco tablets are mainly used dissolved in hot water or milk to prepare drinking chocolate.
Traditional variations
- The artisanal production process of chocolate de Mixco has been declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Nation since 2009.
- Some families add allspice or achiote to the mixture to vary the flavor of the tablets.
How to serve
Chocolate de Mixco is dissolved in hot water or milk to prepare a thick, aromatic drink.
It’s a traditional artisanal product of the municipality of Mixco, made with techniques passed down from generation to generation.
Recommended sides
- Sweet bread
- Tamales
Did you know?
The artisanal process of making chocolate de Mixco was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2009.
It’s traditionally made by grinding the cacao on a stone (metate), a pre-Hispanic technique preserved to this day.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's an artisanal chocolate tablet made from toasted, stone-ground cacao, typical of the municipality of Mixco, Guatemala.
Its artisanal production process was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2009 for its cultural and historical value.
They're dissolved in hot water or milk to prepare a thick, aromatic chocolate drink.
Grinding cacao on stone (metate) is a pre-Hispanic technique preserved by tradition, giving a more rustic, authentic texture.
