Champurrado, a traditional Mexican beverage

is the favorite of many people around the world because of its wide variety of flavors both in meals and beverages. Atole is one of the beverages that are highly consumed among Mexicans and that has warmed the hearts of foreigners as well.

This traditional hot beverage dates back to pre-Colonial times . Originally conceived as a blend of maize and water, it has acquired new and delicious variants over the years, including the introduction of chocolate and milk during the Colonial times.

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is a kind of chocolate that is made with pinole (a combination of powdered spices, like vanilla) or maize dough mixed with water, chocolate , roasted and ground corn, and brown sugar, also known as piloncillo .

There are several versions of champurrado according to the region, so there are no precise rules on which should be the ingredients to prepare it.

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Traditionally, champurrado is made in a clay pot and it is an ideal match with tamales . In contrast with other atoles, champurrado is characterized for using ingredients that were highly valued in the past, therefore it is considered a special beverage for important events.

In central Mexico, this atole is made with water, maize dough, chocolate , and piloncillo, but sometimes people also use pinole, milk, and cinnamon. The chocolate used was traditionally ground using a metate , a square rock used in rural areas to grind different ingredients. Currently, sugar is more commonly used instead of piloncillo because it is cheaper.

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In Nuevo León, people drink champurrado in fairs or in festivals in honor of the local patron saint. Ancient recipes mention it is made with water, cinnamon, orange peel , sugar, chocolate, and cornstarch.

In Oaxaca, it is made with a maize dough without the nixtamalization process, water, chocolate ground in metate, sugar, and cinnamon, and it is churned with a traditional molinillo to create foam.

Regardless of the way it is prepared, champurrado is a favorite throughout Mexico, especially in cold seasons .

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