3 cups whole milk

1 cup whipping (heavy) cream

1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)


8 oz bittersweet (70-80%) chocolate

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder (or to taste)

1 tablespoon Honey
 

For centuries, the Mayas controlled the lucrative production and distribution of kakaw (cocoa) throughout Mesoamerica. Throughout those centuries, cocoa was processed into a beverage - not bonbons. Cocoa beans were fermented, sun dried, roasted and ground into a thick paste.

The paste was then formed into a tortilla-shaped patty. Diary was not available until the Spanish introduced cattle into the New World, so the patty was dissolved in water.

The chocolate beverage was traditionally served hot or cold, savory or sweet.

When savory, it might have included such ingredients as chile, salt, and achiote.

When sweet it included allspice, vanilla and, or course, one of our local honeys.

The resulting chocolate beverage was poured back and forth between two gourds or pots to aerate it and produce a froth. This recipe includes several of the traditional ingredients and is served sweet and hot.

We recommend using a strong flavored honey. While the cornstarch may seem anomalous, in fact the Mayas frequently thicken their chocolate beverage with ground maize.