Evening star., 1942-11-01
Mexico Visitors Find
Culinary Artistry in
Hot Chocolate
Carved and Ornumented
Beuters for Drink
Serve as Souvenirs

rhythm OF the hot chocolate maker
skillfully whirring her carved
wooden rod in bowl of the steam
ing, aromatic beverage is one of the
many fascinating aspects of the
Mexican culinary art to American
visitors to Mexico. Rich, frothy
and fragrant, hot chocolate is gen.
orally served with sweet rolls for
breakfast and supper, and consti-
tutes meal in itself.
Americans who have travelled In
Mexico say that there is some
thing in the way Mexicans mix hot
chocolate which can't be duplicated.
OF course, they've been doing it for
a long time. Mexico gave the West
ern World the cacao bean and a
method for beating up a cup of
frothy hot chocolate that isn't
equalled anywhere.
Centuries ago Indian princes cul-
tivated the cacao bean, and devel-
oped the fine art of preparing it in
beverage form. The conqueror Cor
tez had his first cup of chocolSe
at the court of Moctezuma, the last
OF the Aztec rulers. He was so i'm
pressed by this marvellous new drink
that he wrote about it to Charles V,
explaining how cacao increased re-
sistance to fatigue, describing it's
rare taste and fragrance, and en-
closing a sample of the product
itself.
Long Cultivated.
Long before the discovery of
America, cacao was cultivated in
Mexico, and it is one of the many
products which the Indians of this
continent have contributed to the
worlds food supply. In the time of
the Aztecs it was prepared with
herbs, spices, chiles, honey and
grains of corn. Many rites and
legends were connected with its
cultivation.
According to Aztec le/nd, the
great god, Quetzalcoatl, brought the
seeds Of the cacahuaquahuitl (Aztec
for cacaO to earth so that mortal
men might taste a god-like food.
Among the Mayans, during Muan,
the fifteenth month of their year,
those who were about to plant the
sacred cacao held a great celebra-
tion in honor of their patron gods,
Chac, the god of agriculture, Hobnil,
the god of food, and Ekchuah, the
protector of the cacao trade. Dur
ing the ceremonial rites dog hav-
ing cacao-colored spots was sacri-
feed.
In early times there existed in
Mexico complete monetary sys-
tenn based on cacao, which was ac-
cepted as common currency in
business and commercial transac-
tions. According to the early his
torian, Peter Martyr, Cortez paid
his soldiers with cacao beans. In
the Cathedral of Mexico City there
once stood statue of Our Lady of
the Cacao, and in basket placed
at her feet, the pious deposited their
cacao beans.
Even as late as the 10Th Century
cacao beans served as regular cur
rency In the small markets through
out the Republic of Mexico. Ac-
cording to Humboldt. 10 beans were
the equivalent of half real. Under
such a system, it is easy to see that
cacao, once the drink of the gods,
could be enjoyed only by the
wealthy.
Variety of Uses.
Pre-conquest Indians used cacao
not only as money and as bever-
age, but also as fat for cooking, as
a medicine, and as a cosmetic. It
was, to them, truly miraculous
substance, possessing great, life
giving qualities.
In a huge monolith of the To-
tonaca Indians tree of life, skill
fully carved in stone, represents
cacao tree, the symbolic expression
of the cacao in early Indian life.
Even today, in one Of Mexicos more
remote regions, the ancient custom
still prevails whereby a bride pre-
sents her husband with a bench and
five cacao beans, and the bridegroom
gives her in exchange like amount
of cacao beans and skirt as
nuptial gift.
The beautifully carved and orna-
mented chocolate beaters used
throughout Mexico are an Aztec
heritage. They are calle d
"molinillos' and can be purchased
in any market-place or curio shop.
American visitors to Mexico gen.
orally buy several of these decora-
tive and useful souvenirs, so that
when they return home they can
keep their south-of the border
memories warm with a steaming cup
of chocolate, Mexican style.