Champurrado (Mexican hot chocolate and corn drink)

Champurrado is a thick Mexican hot chocolate and corn drink with ancient roots and a few simple ingredients. It's a favorite during colder weather and festive periods, and no wonder as it's rich, warming and comforting with a gentle sweetness.

On a chilly day, there's nothing quite like a warm drink to really bring your temperature back up. Sometimes, of course, a little adult addition can be good in there like an apple brandy hot toddy or spiked mulled apple cider, but family-friendly options are good too.

This Mexican drink has some similarities to Mexican hot chocolate, with it's thicker consistency and gently spiced flavor, but it has that bit more complex a flavor. And it's still easy to make.

Origins of champurrado

Champurrado has origins that date to Mesoamerican civilizations in pre-Columbian times. Mayans and Aztecs prized cacao and made the original version of this drink with cacao, corn and water. Spices were sometimes added as well. It was both a ceremonial drink as well as nourishing.

The drink is generally considered a type of atole, a group of drinks with pre-Columbian origins. The name atole is from the Nahuatl "atolli" meaning watered down since the base is corn in water, while chapurrado is comes from Spanish "champurrar" meaning to mix.

Atole comes in a whole range of flavors and styles, most sweet but some savory or spicy. Some use fruits, others nuts, and some chili. Most are thickened with corn in some form but you can get versions with rice or oats.

After the Spanish arrived, they brought sugar and milk and champurrado evolved into the drink it is today. It also then travelled to the Phillipines and evolved into champorado, a chocolate porridge made with rice rather than corn.

Ingredients for chocolate atole, champurrado

This drink uses just a few ingredients, though some you may need to look for in a Latin American or specialist store:

• Mexican chocolate - make sure to hunt down Mexican chocolate (or at least Mexican-style) rather than substitute one from elsewhere, as it is different. Mexican-style chocolate has a coarser texture and is typically less sweet.
• Masa harina - this is niztamalized corn flour, where the corn is treated with an alkaline mixture. It's what is used to make masa, the base for corn tortillas, and you can in fact use masa as well. Just masa harina is generally easier to find. You might think you can substitute corn starch (corn flour) but it's not quite the same - masa harina has more texture and corn flavor.
• Piloncillo - this is an unrefined cane sugar, commonly used as sweetener in Mexico. It comes in blocks so you need to shave some off to use it (see the photo above of both block and shavings). You can find it in Latin American stores as well as some larger supermarkets, but if you can't find it, you can substitute brown sugar.
• Milk - this adds to the richness and flavor of the drink and is the main liquid in modern versions. While dairy milk is most typical, you can use other milks instead.
• Water - you use part water to balance out the richness a little.
• Cinnamon - you use a cinnamon stick to infuse the liquid and add to the flavor of the drink. If at all possible, use Mexican cinnamon which is a little different, but use what you have available.
• Vanilla extract - you can skip if you like, but it's worth adding just a little for flavor. Vanilla extract also helps bring out the other flavors.

Different regions use different spices (eg some add anise) and serve at different thicknesses, but this is a typical combination.

Steps to make the drink and tips

It's an easy drink but takes a couple steps. First, you warm the milk and part of the water with the cinnamon and piloncillo/sugar and separately make a paste with the masa harina and some of the water. You want to make sure you get a really smooth paste for best end texture so a blender is often the best option.

Once the piloncillo/sugar has dissolved, add the chocolate and melt it in. Then, and the masa paste and mix. Stir as it warms a couple minutes more to thicken up.

During all the time you are warming, try to just get the liquid hot but not boiling. If you accidentally get lumps, you can strain it before serving. Some like to make the drink frothy, in which case use a small whisk as it warms. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

You can adjust the thickness and sweetness to your taste by adding more sugar, if you want, and cooking more or less time. Or, if it gets too thick, add a little more milk/water.

You typically serve this warm, but be warned, it holds it's heat well. So take small sips, or do asI like to and use a small spoon since it's relatively thick. You can enjoy as it is, or you often serve it with tamales and/or pan dulce. While it's not a ceremonial drink these days, it's still a common choice during festivities such as Day of the Dead and Las Posadas.

Champurrado is a lovely chocolate atole that's rich, comforting and warming. It has a lovely mix of chocolate, corn and mild spice flavors and is gently sweet. It's maybe not for your sweet tooth that likes a really sweet hot chocolate, but it has it's own unique character that's well worth trying. And it's perfect for the chilly days ahead.

Try these other Mexican drinks:

• Mexican carajillo (a lovely simple coffee cocktail)
• Tamarind margarita (a tasty mix of sweet-tart flavors in the tequila-based classic)
• Cantaloupe agua fresca (wonderfully refreshing and perfect all summer long)
• Plus get more drinks recipes and Mexican recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.