Molinillo or Chocolate Whisk
notes: label: Description
content: A molinillo is a whisk that was first produced by Spanish colonists in Mexico. They used the molinillo to stir and froth their chocolate drinks. Prior to Van Houten’s invention of the hydraulic press, chocolate contained a large amount of fat that was not soluble in water. A chocolate drink had to be continuously stirred in order to stay mixed. A small molinillo would have been used with an individual serving size cup. A large molinillo would have been used in a chocolate pot.
label: Description
content: During the 18th century, the preparing, serving and consuming of chocolate and coffee became a ritualistic affair for the middle classes. While it had been popular with upper classes for a century earlier, the desire to mimic the upper classes led to a proliferation of utensils and serving ware to enhance the experience.
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content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
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content: Food
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content: American Enterprise
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content: Domestic Furnishings
label: Exhibition
content: American Enterprise
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Mars, Inc.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2014.0015.05
label: catalog number
content: 2014.0015.05
label: accession number
content: 2014.0015
objectType: label: Object Name
content: stirrer
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 14 5/8 in x 1 1/4 in; 37.1475 cm x 3.175 cm