A Fusion of African and Indigenous Cultures
Chilate is a wonderful chocolate drink that is popular throughout the state of Guerrero, Mexico. Served very cold, it is a mixture of chocolate, rice, cinnamon, and brown sugar. The drink originates from the Costa Chica region of the state, where there is a high population of Afro-Mexicans. You can find this drink in restaurants or beverage stands throughout the state.
An Afromexican woman from Cuajinicuilapa prepares and sells chilate, a popular drink throughout the state of Guerrero.
Chilate is a Fusion of African and Indigenous Cultures
Chilate, a mixture of chocolate and rice, is another example of the African influence in Mexico and the fusion of the African and indigenous cultures. Chocolate is indigenous to Mexico and Central America, where cacao beans have been cultivated for at least three millennia. Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree that is native to the region.
Rice cultivation and a major part of rice gastronomy arrived in Mexico in the sixteenth century from the Senegal-Gambia region of West Africa, along with enslaved West Africans who were brought to Mexico at the time.
Recipe for Chilate “Guerrerense” Style
For a garrafón of water, you will need half a kilo of cocoa, 400 grams of rice, and about 8 pesos of cinnamon. Grind the drink ingredients, add a little water, and grind again until the mixture becomes a paste that can be dissolved in water with sugar.
Ingredients:
- 400 grams cocoa
- 400 grams rice
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 piece of brown sugar
- Water as needed
Preparation:
- Toast the cocoa and peel.
- Soak rice with cinnamon.
- Dissolve the brown sugar in hot water (enough to make a syrup) and pour it into a saucepan. Reserve.
- Grind the soaked mixture and strain 3 times.
- Already strained, add brown sugar.
- Add ice.
Video Instruction:
It’s best to show you! Here is a video on how to prepare it.