Mexican Drinks
Made Easy
Easy Mexican Hot Chocolate
Mexican Horchata
Mexican Cafe con Leche

Theobroma, the botanical name for chocolate  means "food of the Gods", and it is an important ingredient in the Mexican culture. The Aztec people adopted the use of chocolate from the Mayans and combined honey, spices, nuts and seeds with chocolate to make a number of delicious drinks and it was also used as a form of currency. Chocolate is also one of the foods the Spanish explorers brought back to Spain and eventually hot chocolate milk was used in rituals by priests and noblemen and even became the Kings of Spain's Official Drink.

In return, it is believed that horchata, an old-world drink was brought to the new world by the Spanish and adopted by the Aztecs. In Spain horchata was originally made with with ground melon seeds. The Aztecs used squash seeds instead but later almonds and rice were introduced to the new world and incorporated into the drink as it is prepared today.

Easy Mexican Hot Chocolate - Serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
4 ounces dark bitter chocolate
Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon to taste

Method:
Warm the milk and chocolate in a saucepan.  Add a few drops of Vanilla Extract and a pinch of cinnamon. 
Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture begins to boil. Remove immediately from the heat and froth the chocolate by more whisking. Serve immediately in slightly warmed mugs.

Mexican Horchata - Serves: 6 - 7
A cold drink, believed to be a cure for hangovers, is usually served at breakfast time.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons rice
1 1/4 cups blanched almonds
1 inch cinnamon stick
3 "2-inch" strips of lime zest (rind only, not the white pithy part) 3/4" long
1 cup white granulated sugar

Method: Pulverize the rice in a blender until it is as smooth as possible. Mix the rice paste with the almonds, cinnamon and zest of lime and let the mixture set overnight.

In the morning, blend the mixture for at least 5 minutes until smooth grit-free. Add 2 cups of water and blend again for just a minute. Line a large sieve with 2-3 layers of damp cheesecloth and place it over a mixing bowl. Pour the rice mixture into the sieve, a little at a time, and stir gently to help the mixture go through. When all the liquid has passed through to the bowl, gather the cloth together at the top, give it a twist to squeeze out the remaining liquid.

Add 2 more cups of water and stir in sugar, to taste. Add water to make the mixture the thickness you prefer. Keep the mixture in a covered pitcher and refrigerate. Serve over ice.

Mexican Cafe con Leche - Serves: 4 
A spiced up coffee served with breakfast.

Ingredients:
4 cups freshly brewed coffee
2 cups milk
4 cinnamon sticks
Sugar to taste

Method:
Use a heavy medium saucepan to slowly bring the milk and cinnamon to a boil, stirring now and then. Remove the cinnamon sticks and keep them aside for serving later.

Add the fresh brewed coffee to the milk, stir for a few seconds, and pour the liquid into cups.  Add a cinnamon stick to each cup and provide a bowl of sugar so each person can add their own according to their taste.