Hispanic Heritage Month: Taste the story of Mexican Chocolate.

Long before chocolate was sweet, it was sacred.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we're honoring the story behind one of Mexico's greatest gifts.

Sacred roots. For thousands of years, the ancient peoples of Mexico, including the Olmec, Maya, and Mexica (Aztecs), treasured cacao. They ground roasted beans on a stone metate, and whisked them into a bold, frothy drinks. It was served at ceremonies, weddings, and rituals, and the beans were even used as currency.

When two worlds met. After the Spanish arrived, cinnamon, sugar, and milk joined the Indigenous drink, giving us the sweet, spiced hot chocolate many of us grew up with. That blending of worlds also gave us mole poblano, where chiles, nuts, spices, and chocolate meet in one of Mexico's most celebrated dishes.

Chocolate today. We sip it hot with pan de muerto, simmer it into mole, and shape it into calaveras for Día de los Muertos. It still gathers us around the table.

Bring the story home:

• Whisk and sip a classic cup with our Mexican Hot Chocolate Tablillas and a Molinillo Artesano.
• Simmer a Cazuela of Mole Poblano.
• Explore all of Flavors of Mexico.

Once sacred. Then sweet. Now shared in our cocina.