Spanish Food Recipes-Hispanic Holiday Beverages

Hispanic Holiday Beverages

If it is said that America's immigrant groups make our society a "melting pot" of cultures, then during the winter we must turn it up a notch and become a "blender of diversity," because our numerous ethnic groups have each played a part in making their respective Holiday beverages our own American classics.Take Mexican hot chocolate, for example. The ancient Mayan civilization of Mexico made the first chocolate drink, called xocoatl, for special occasions and important ceremonies. In those days, chocolate was a luxury item, and cacao pods were often traded as currency throughout the Yucatan and Central America. The Maya added spices to their frothy concoction, including vanilla ,chile pepper, and achiote. It was seen as a remedy for fatigue and prized for its energy-inducing effects. Mexicans today still enjoy a much spicier version of hot chocolate than we do in the U.S., but Mexican hot chocolate is gaining in popularity thanks to the spread of Mexican cuisine into the American diet.Nowadays, you can even find Mexican chocolate tablets in most supermarkets to make your own hot chocolate drink at home.I like a brand called Ibarra, which has cacao nibs and a nice cinnamon flavor to it. But you can easily prepare your own chocolaty elixir at home with a mixture of dark or bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, milk, and for the more adventurous, a little cayenne pepper, to spice up your winter nights.

Coquito is another Hispanic beverage that is commonly consumed during the Holiday Season. This egg nog-like drink has its roots in Puerto Rico and is a celestial combination of coconut cream, milk, vanilla, egg yolks, condensed milk, evaporated milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Usually imbibed around Christmas, it would not be an authentic Puerto rican beverage without the national obsession—rum, of course. The name coquito might be derived from either one or two sources. The Spanish word for coconut is coco, and coquito could be a more affectionate take on the fruit's name, which is common on the island. Another origin of the word might be the coqui, the beloved tree frog that resides in Puerto Rico's tropical forests and serves as the island's unofficial mascot. The frog produces a constant "coh-kee" sound that inspired its name, and perhaps the creamy beverage borrows its moniker because it is equally as adored. Though the sound of drinking an amphibian is not appetizing, I have never seen a person say no to a second glass of coquito after trying it once. Nat King Cole may have been singing about chestnuts, but if he had tried some coquito, he would have been belting out salsa tunes instead!
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