Authentic Mexican hot chocolate

One item many associated with the border is Mexican hot chocolate. There is nothing else like it. It tastes nothing at all like the pre-packaged instant stuff or the chocolate syrup you squeeze from a bottle into hot milk.

If you enjoy a hot cup of cocoa on a cold night, then you've just got to wrap your hands around a mug of hot Mexican Chocolate.

The most popular brands of Mexican chocolate are La Popular, La Abuelita and Ibarra.

I grew up on La Popular. I used to sneak into the pantry when I was a little girl and break off a piece of the hard chocolate and eat it like candy.

Mexican chocolate is sold in hard circular or square disks. It has a very grainy texture to it because it is a combination of chocolate, sugar and ground cinnamon.

Authentic Mexican Hot Chocolate

1 tablet (disk) of La Abuelita chocolate
4 cups of milk
Several cinnamon sticks

In a saucepan, combine the milk and chocolate. You might want to break the chocolate in small pieces so it will dissolve quicker. Stir it often until the chocolate dissolves. Don't be surprised to find small chunks at the bottom of the pot.

For a truly Mexican experience, blend your chocolate with a molinillo - a hand carved wooden whisk made in Mexico. Leave the chocolate in the saucepan, insert the molinillo and then roll the handle between your palms for a minute or two.

Pour the chocolate in mugs, add a stick of cinnamon and enjoy!