Tejate Recipe: How to Make the Ancient Chocolate Drink of Oaxaca

Hello, Good News! Welcome to another article where we explore the fascinating world of Mexican cuisine and culture. Today, we are going to learn how to make tejate, a traditional beverage from Oaxaca that dates back to pre-Hispanic times. Tejate is a refreshing and nutritious drink made with corn, cacao, mamey pits, and a special flower called rosita de cacao. It has a unique flavor and texture that will surprise and delight you.

Tejate is not only delicious, but also very healthy. It contains calcium, iron, fiber, protein, carbohydrates, and antioxidants. It also has healing properties for stomach ailments and can help you feel full and energized. Tejate is a drink of the gods, as the ancient Zapotecs and Mixtecs believed. It was consumed in ceremonies and rituals, as well as in everyday life. Tejate is still very popular in Oaxaca and other parts of Mexico, where it is sold by vendors in markets and streets.

What is Tejate and How is it Made?

Tejate is a non-alcoholic drink that is prepared by mixing a paste of toasted corn flour, fermented cacao beans, mamey pits, and rosita de cacao with water. The paste is usually made by grinding the ingredients on a stone metate or in a molino (a mill). The paste is then transferred to a large clay bowl called an apaxtle, where it is kneaded with water by hand until a thick foam forms on the surface. The foam is called flor de cacao or cocoa butter, and it gives tejate its characteristic appearance and texture.

Tejate can be served as it is or with some sugar syrup to sweeten it. It is usually poured into a jicara, a half-circle-shaped vessel made from the fruit of the morro tree. Tejate is served cold with ice cubes or crushed ice. It has a light brown color and a dense layer of white foam on top. It has a slightly sweet and nutty taste, with hints of chocolate and corn. Some people compare it to chocolate milk, but tejate has its own unique flavor that cannot be replicated by any other drink.

The Ingredients of Tejate

The main ingredients of tejate are corn, cacao, mamey pits, and rosita de cacao. Each of these ingredients has its own history and significance in Mexican culture.

• Corn: Corn is the staple food of Mexico and many other parts of the Americas. It was domesticated thousands of years ago by the indigenous peoples who developed different varieties and uses for it. Corn is used to make tortillas, tamales, atole, pozole, and many other dishes. Corn flour is also used to make tejate paste.
• Cacao: Cacao is the seed of the cacao tree, which grows in tropical regions of Mexico and Central America. Cacao was considered sacred by the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations, who used it to make chocolate drinks for religious ceremonies and as currency. Cacao beans are fermented, dried, roasted, and ground to make cacao paste or powder. Cacao adds flavor and aroma to tejate.
• Mamey pits: Mamey is a tropical fruit with orange flesh and a large brown seed or pit. The pit is edible and has a nutty flavor. It is toasted and ground to make pixtle, which is used to thicken tejate and give it body.
• Rosita de cacao: Rosita de cacao is a white flower that grows on a tree native to Oaxaca. It has a sweet scent and flavor that enhances tejate. It also produces a natural oil that forms the foam on top of the drink.

The Preparation of Tejate

The preparation of tejate involves several steps that require skill and patience. Here is a general overview of how tejate is made:

1. The corn is cooked in water with lime (calcium hydroxide) to remove the skin and soften the kernels. This process is called nixtamalization and it improves the nutritional value and flavor of the corn.
2. The corn is drained and ground on a metate or in a molino to make corn flour.
3. The cacao beans are fermented in banana leaves for several days to develop their flavor and aroma.
4. The cacao beans are dried in the sun or over a fire until they turn brown.
5. The cacao beans are roasted on a comal (a flat metal or clay griddle) until they crack open.
6. The cacao beans are peeled and ground on a metate or in a molino to make cacao paste.
7. The mamey pits are roasted on a comal until they turn dark brown.
8. The mamey pits are peeled and ground on a metate or in a molino to make pixtle.
9. The rosita de cacao flowers are roasted on a comal until they wilt and release their oil.
10. The rosita de cacao flowers are ground on a metate or in a molino to make flor de cacao.
11. The corn flour, cacao paste, pixtle, and flor de cacao are mixed together on a metate or in a molino to make tejate paste.
12. The tejate paste is transferred to an apaxtle and mixed with water by hand until a foam forms on the surface.
13. The tejate is poured into jicaras and served cold with ice and sugar syrup if desired.

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