Tejate (Oaxacan cacao and corn flower drink)

An ancient Zapotec drink of ground cacao, cacao flower, toasted corn, and mamey sapote seed: frothed by hand on a metate

Origin: Oaxaca, Mexico

From the journey of Cocoa.

Tejate (teh-HAH-teh) is arguably the oldest continuous chocolate-adjacent drink still made and sold today. It originates with the Zapotec and Mixtec civilisations of Oaxaca, pre-dating Aztec cacao culture, and is still prepared by hand each morning in the markets of Tlacolula and Etla in exactly the same way it has been for thousands of years. Unlike xocolatl, tejate uses not the cacao bean alone but a combination of roasted cacao beans, rosita de cacao (the dried flower of the cacao tree, Quararibea funebris), toasted dried corn (maize), and the seed of the mamey sapote fruit. The whole mixture is ground for hours on a stone metate with cold water until an impossibly thick paste forms, then beaten by hand (dipping both hands into the bowl repeatedly) to work in more water and build an extraordinary foam. The final drink is served cold, poured from height into a gourd, and drunk for breakfast or during festivals. It tastes earthy, slightly smoky, gently floral, and uniquely ancient.

Ingredients

base

  • 200 g cacao beans, roasted and peeled
  • 100 g dried corn (maize kernels), toasted until golden in a dry pan
  • 30 g rosita de cacao (dried cacao flowers, Quararibea funebris): substitute dried rose petals + a pinch of cinnamon if unavailable
  • 1 mamey sapote seed, roasted and peeled: substitute 2 tbsp almond butter if unavailable
  • 1.5 litres cold water, divided

seasoning

  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp piloncillo or dark cane sugar (optional: Zapotec tejate is traditionally unsweetened)

Method

  1. Roast the cacao beans in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 8–10 minutes until fragrant and cracking. Peel while warm by rubbing in a cloth.
  2. Toast the dried corn kernels in a dry pan until golden and slightly charred in spots, about 5–7 minutes.
  3. If using a mamey sapote seed, roast it whole in a dry pan or oven at 180°C for 20 minutes, then peel and roughly chop.
  4. Grind together the cacao beans, toasted corn, rosita de cacao, and mamey seed in a heavy-duty blender or food processor with 4 tbsp of the cold water to a very smooth, thick paste. Traditional preparation uses a metate stone grinder: grinding for 1–2 hours until perfectly smooth.
  5. Transfer the paste to a large wide bowl. Add 250 ml cold water and begin beating vigorously with both hands: scoop the paste with cupped palms, lift high, and pour back repeatedly. After 5 minutes of beating, you will see a foam beginning to develop.
  6. Gradually add the remaining cold water in 3–4 stages, beating thoroughly between each addition. The final consistency should be slightly thinner than whole milk, topped with a thick layer of foam.
  7. Season with salt and piloncillo if using. Serve cold in gourds or cups, pouring from height to maintain the foam.

Notes

Rosita de cacao (Quararibea funebris) can be found at Latin American specialty shops or online. It gives tejate a subtle floral, almost anise-like quality that no substitute fully replicates. The mamey sapote seed adds a distinctive almond-coconut creaminess. Tejate keeps refrigerated for up to 2 days: stir or re-beat before serving.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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