12 hours Ago By Stephen Randall
Long before friends started to over-analyze your Spotify Wrapped top 10 list and Black Friday deals flooded your feed, there was champurrado — a rich, velvety drink that wrapped you in warmth, like the embrace of a grandmother who always knew when you needed one. It hailed from the land of corn and cacao, where the Olmecs, Maya, and Mexica were hard at work crafting pyramids, waging wars, and finding ingenious ways to proclaim their superiority — often with the help of cacao, which was not just an ingredient, but a currency. Here’s the funny thing: champurrado wasn’t born in some fancy palace with golden cups.
Nope, it bubbled to life in clay pots, stirred by people who knew how to stretch a good thing. It was cacao and maize — two ingredients that literally built civilizations. The Olmecs started it, and the Maya ran with it, adding froth and some spiritual pizazz.
By the time the Mexica got hold of it, they had turned the drink into an energy booster for warriors and a bribe for their gods. How’s that for multitasking? Then came the Spaniards. They showed up, pointed at everything, and said, “Mine.
”. They tried cacao and nearly spit it out — it was bitter, spicy, and definitely not the dessert they were expecting. So they added sugar, cinnamon, and enough sweetness to make it palatable for their European sensibilities.
Thus, champurrado as we know it was baptized into the chaotic family of humanity. But it didn’t stay in the hands of conquerors or kings. It slipped into the kitchens of everyday people, where its purpose was less about gods and gold and more about keeping you from freezing your butt off on a cold morning.
They thickened it with masa harina , sweetened it with piloncillo , and stirred it into something that felt like home. Today, champurrado isn’t just a drink. It’s a survivor.
It’s a reminder that no matter how crazy things get, you can always simmer some cacao, whisk in a little corn, and sip your way to a moment of peace. Champurrado is a traditional Mexican chocolate-based atole , perfect for chilly mornings or festive gatherings. Here’s a step-by-step recipe to make it.
Champurrado is what happens when chocolate and corn get together and decide to make a warm hug in a mug. Drink it warm, drink it thick, and don’t think too hard about why it makes you so happy. You’ve earned it.
Or maybe you haven’t. Either way, it’s delicious..
