Abuelita
Encyclopedia
Abuelita is a brand of chocolate
tablets, or powdered mix in individual packets, made by Nestlé
and used to make Mexican-style hot chocolate
. It was originally invented in Mexico in 1963. The name is an affectionate Spanish
word for "grandma" (literally translated as "little grandmother" or "granny"). Since 1973 the Mexican actress Sara García
has been the image for the brand before it was acquired by the Swiss company.
The chocolate usually comes in hexagonal tablets that can be split into equal wedges, and then melted into milk. The drink can also be mixed with spirits such as Kahlúa
. The chocolate is made of sugar
, cocoa
and cinnamon
. Abuelita has been a staple Mexican
product for more than 60 years, and can be identified by its unique taste and packaging. Other "Mexican chocolate" tablet brands are Ibarra
and Moctezuma.
One suggested method for preparing Abuelita is to bring a saucepan of milk (or water) to a boil, and add the tablet of chocolate and stir continuously with a whisk or molinillo
(a whisk-like wooden stirring spoons native to Meso America) until melted and frothy or creamy. The drink is served cool or chilled in preparation for mixing with alcoholic drinks.
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
tablets, or powdered mix in individual packets, made by Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
and used to make Mexican-style hot chocolate
Hot chocolate
Hot chocolate is a heated beverage typically consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and sugar...
. It was originally invented in Mexico in 1963. The name is an affectionate Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
word for "grandma" (literally translated as "little grandmother" or "granny"). Since 1973 the Mexican actress Sara García
Sara García
Sara García was a Mexican actress who made her biggest mark during the "Golden Age of Mexican cinema". During the 1940s and 1950s, she often played the part of a no-nonsense but lovable grandmother in numerous Mexican films...
has been the image for the brand before it was acquired by the Swiss company.
The chocolate usually comes in hexagonal tablets that can be split into equal wedges, and then melted into milk. The drink can also be mixed with spirits such as Kahlúa
Kahlúa
Kahlúa is a Mexican coffee-flavored rum-based liqueur. It is dense and sweet, with the distinct taste of coffee, from which it is made. Kahlúa also contains sugar, corn syrup and vanilla bean.-History:...
. The chocolate is made of sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, cocoa
Cocoa solids
Cocoa solids are the low-fat component of chocolate. When sold as an end product, it may also be called cocoa powder, cocoa, and cacao....
and cinnamon
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
. Abuelita has been a staple Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
product for more than 60 years, and can be identified by its unique taste and packaging. Other "Mexican chocolate" tablet brands are Ibarra
Ibarra (chocolate)
Ibarra is a brand of Mexican chocolate para mesa produced by the company Chocolatera de Jalisco of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The company manufactures other chocolate products, but Ibarra table chocolate is its best-known product, with presence throughout Mexico as well as international...
and Moctezuma.
One suggested method for preparing Abuelita is to bring a saucepan of milk (or water) to a boil, and add the tablet of chocolate and stir continuously with a whisk or molinillo
Molinillo (whisk)
A Molinillo is a traditional Mexican turned wood whisk. Its use is principally for the preparation of hot beverages such as hot chocolate, atole and champurrado. The molinillo is held between the palms and rotated by rubbing the palms together; this rotation creates the froth in the drink...
(a whisk-like wooden stirring spoons native to Meso America) until melted and frothy or creamy. The drink is served cool or chilled in preparation for mixing with alcoholic drinks.