Abuelita

Product type	Chocolate
Owner	Nestlé
Country	Mexico
Introduced	1939; 85 years ago (1939)
Markets	Mexico
Previous owners	La Azteca
Website	abuelita.com.mx

Abuelita is a Mexican-style hot chocolate also known as chocolate para mesa (English: "table chocolate") owned by the Nestlé company.^[1] It was originally invented and commercialized in Mexico in 1939,^[2] by Fábrica de Chocolates La Azteca.^[3] The name is an affectionate Spanish word for "grandma" (literally translated as "little grandmother" or "granny"). Since 1973, Mexican actress Sara García has been the image for the brand,^[4] It is now produced and sold in chocolate tablets, syrup, or individual packets of powdered mix.

Overview

The Abuelita product ingredients (in order of percentage): sugar, chocolate processed with alkali, soy lecithin, vegetable oils (palm, shea nut and/or illipe nut), artificial cinnamon flavor, PGPR (an emulsifier).^[5] The Abuelita Hot Chocolate has been a Mexican staple product since 1939 and can be identified by its unique taste and packaging.

One suggested method for preparing Abuelita is to bring a saucepan of milk (not water) to a boil, then add the tablet of chocolate and stir continuously with a whisk or molinillo (a whisk-like wooden stirring spoon native to Meso America). This action is done until it has reached a melted and bubbly or creamy. The drink is served hot or chilled to mix with alcoholic beverages.

Abuelita is often prepared for special occasions,^[6] such as Day of the Dead (a holiday in which people remember their family and friends whose spirits departed to the afterlife) and Las Posadas^[7] (Christmas season).