Chocolate

Traditional Mexican hot chocolate ingredients (November 2, 2025). Photo by Dylan Gutierrez-Aguilar.

A Bittersweet History

by Dylan Gutierrez-Aguilar

Chocolate: my guilty pleasure. I certainly do not consider myself the biggest fan of candy, but when it comes to chocolate, I simply can’t resist. Rich, smooth, creamy… bitter? Yes! Chocolate has successfully spread throughout the world and united cultures, yet with a closer look you may uncover a not-so-sweet past.

I’ll never forget the early morning adventures with my grandpa back in Mexico–the tiresome hikes up the rocky hills to provide food and water to the ungrateful cattle who never failed to stare into my soul as if I had personally sought to offend them. Upon our return home, we were always greeted by a faint aroma. Fortunately, I was always too hungry not to recognize the smell of greatness. Of course, I am referring to a traditional cup of hot chocolate: the perfect pick-me-up with a side pan dulce, otherwise known as sweet bread. For my family, there's only one right way of making this. Let me tell you how it’s done. First, you start by heating up either some milk, water, or a mix of both if you’re into that kind of thing for some reason. Next, you’ll want to get a stick or two of cinnamon and place it in the milk for a few minutes to ensure the flavor is infused well. Finally, you get a “tablet” of chocolate (preferably the Abuelita brand) and carefully place it in the milk. Stir it slowly until fully melted. If you wish to get all fancy and traditional, you should consider using a molinillo, which is essentially a “wooden whisk” used to ensure that foamy and rich look (Mejia). Now, it's time to take a sip of pure bliss. The first one is always too hot, but in a pleasant way. The heat spreads through your chest–a slow, cozy bloom. It’s both a drink and a mood: warm, simple, and with a hint of nostalgia.

Freshly made hot chocolate with traditional pan dulce (sweet bread) on the side (November 2, 2025). Photo by Dylan Gutierrez-Aguilar.

Tab of chocolate before being put into the heated milk (November 2, 2025). Photo by Dylan Gutierrez-Aguilar.

Let’s forget all this sweet talk for just a second. Chocolate’s original form, cacao, can be traced back to Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Aztecs and Mayans. Cacao beans were so essential to both that they were even “offered to gods and valued as currency” (Chavez-Vera, et al.; Nelson). Think of these beans as the gold of ancient Latin America. Perhaps not quite what the Europeans were looking for, but it’s what they got. Evidence also suggests that chocolate was used by the Aztecs for medicinal purposes. This included illnesses from stomach issues to coughs (Grivetti 68). The Aztec diet explains why early versions of the chocolate drink were in fact opposite to today’s sweet drink. Common ingredients such as maize (corn) were used to “create a cacao porridge, chilis to concoct a spicy drink and achiote fruits to give it a deep blood- red color for ritual use” (Nelson). Nelson explains that the early versions of the cacao-based recipes may have influenced today’s traditional dishes found throughout Central America. One such notable dish is known as a chocolate-based mole.

The word mole originates from the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs. As Olivares puts it, “mōlli means ‘sauce’ or ‘mixture,’ giving us our current mole.” Ever heard of guacamole? Same deal, thank the Aztecs (Olivares). While traditional mole recipes vary widely, they generally include a mix of seeds, chilies, spices such as cinnamon, and of course, chocolate. The resulting product is a creamy sauce that offers the best of both worlds: sweet and spicy. This is perhaps the only food with chocolate that, while not sweet in taste, satisfies that craving for a hot, freshly cooked meal to enjoy with family no matter the occasion. Check out this article for some recipes if you’d like to attempt. Disclaimer: make sure you have all day because cooking mole will certainly take time!

In many ways, chocolate represents a blend of ancient tradition with modern flavor–a reminder that food connects us not only to our past but to each other. Whether you’re sipping on a sweet cup of hot chocolate or savoring a spicy mole sauce, you’re more than satisfying a simple craving. It’s a reminder of the many wonderful memories such as those of my grandpa. Just as chocolate has unified many cultures around the world, it has also deepened the connection between my family and I through many shared meals, laughs, and joyful celebrations.

Works Cited

Chevez-Vera, Hector David, et al. “Chocolate: Origins, Current Technology and Production of Antioxidants Beneficial to Health.” Quevedo: Ciencia Y Tecnología from UTEQ, vol. 14, no. 1, 30 June 2021, pp. 45–53, https://doi.org/10.18779/cyt.v14i1.458. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

Grivetti, Louis Evan, and Howard-Yana Shapiro, editors. Chocolate. John Wiley & Sons, Wiley Online Library, pp. 67-88, Inc., 2009, https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470411315. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

Mejia, Paula “The Whisk That Whips up Perfect Hot Chocolate Foam.” Atlas Obscura, www.atlasobscura.com/foods/molinillo-wooden-whisk-hot-chocolate. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

Nelson, Bryan . “Uncovering an Early Taste for Chocolate / Maya, Aztec Cultures

Show a Rich History: [ALL EDITIONS].” Newsday, ProQuest, 24 June 2003,

www.proquest.com/docview/279668677?parentSessionId=xqfL0nu%2FKkEEnw

Vpk1YyylLV7LDCEq1aOrGQUST31L4%3D&accountid=14667&sourcetype=New

spapers. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

Olivares, Emilly. “The History of Mole, Mexico’s National Tesoro.” Familia Kitchen, 19 July 2021, familiakitchen.com/history-of-mole-mexicos-national-tesoro/. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

Gutierrez-Aguilar, Dylan. Photo of ingredients for a traditional Mexican hot chocolate. 2 Nov. 2025. Author’s personal collection.

Gutierrez-Aguilar, Dylan. Photo of freshly made hot chocolate with sweet bread on the side. 2 Nov. 2025. Author’s personal collection.

Gutierrez-Aguilar, Dylan. Photo of hot chocolate cooking process. 2 Nov. 2025. Author’s personal collection.

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