Hijita - Mexican Cacao Para Beber with Cardamom - Mar. 24, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Hijita 
Mexican Cacao Para Beber with Cardamom
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) package
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1/2 package
Cost: $11.00 for 1 package 
Purchased from: Hijita.com, online order

Welcome to Day #8 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Mexican Cacao Para Beber (drinking chocolate) with Cardamom was made by Hijita, LLC (Austin, TX).

This drinking chocolate came packaged as an attractively shaped (hexagonal, floral, multi-dimensional) dark chocolate sculpture; and it was made using lavado* (washed, unfermented) cacao from from Revival Cacao in Tabasco (the state were where most cacao is grown in Mexico).

Aroma and flavor notes (for the chocolate before it was prepared) included: relatively smooth dark chocolate, and warm spice (faint cardamom) and vanilla. (Note: I taste drinking chocolates before and after liquid is added for a full dose of texture and flavors.).

Texture: The unprepared (solid) chocolate was slightly granular (stoneground) with (piloncillo) sugar crystals that slowly dissolved in my mouth. After being prepared, the hot chocolate was smooth and satisfying. 

After preparation as a hot beverage with milk, both flavors and texture were smoother. (The almost crunchy sugar crystals melted into the milk, and the vanilla was warm and comforting.)

Both the base (unprepared) chocolate and the chocolate beverage I made from this drinking chocolate had very appealing and authentic chocolate (smooth dark chocolate, chocolate-y cocoa) and spice (light cardamom, vanilla bean) notes.

I enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to try this unique chocolate, and learning more about Revival Cacao's work in Mexico to bring back fine cacaos to one of the original growing regions. 

Ingredients: "Cacao*, Piloncillo*, Cinnamon*, Vanilla Bean*, Sea Salt*, Cacao Butter* (*sourced direct from small family-owned agroforestry farms in mexico)" (Note: I feel fairly certain this Cardamom blend did contain cardamom, but it may have accidentally been omitted from this ingredients list.)

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a facility that also uses Peanuts & Tree Nuts"

*After careful manually harvesting cacao pods, cacao beans are removed from the outer husk. And instead of fermenting pulp-covered beans, the pulpy fruit is washed (lavado). The washed beans are then dried. Washed beans have a reddish hue and often yield a different flavor profile than fermented cacaos, and may include bitter, astringent, citrus or earth notes. Results vary depending on several factors.

Washed cacao has been used for thousands of years, and is still relatively common in Mexico. Cacao lavado is most frequently used in drinking chocolates and moles (rich chili sauces that contain cacao as one of many ingredients) in Mexico--especially in Chiapas and Oaxaca. Less processing also helps preserve polyphenols/flavanoids. 

Hijita - Original - Mexican Cacao Para Beber with cinnamon, vanilla bean, piloncillo - Mar. 23, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Hijita 
Original - Mexican Cacao Para Beber with cinnamon, vanilla bean, piloncillo
Good + - Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 2.12 oz. (60 g.) package
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 1/2 package
Cost: $11.00 for 1 package 
Purchased from: Hijita.com, online order

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Original - Mexican Cacao Para Beber (for drinking) with cinnamon, vanilla bean, piloncillo was made by Hijita, LLC (Austin, TX).

This drinking chocolate came packaged as an attractively shaped (hexagonal, floral, multi-dimensional) dark chocolate sculpture and was made using cacao from Chinantla, Oaxaca, Mexico. The cacao producer was Dona Dionisia Garcia. 

I started today's tasting by learning more about washed cacao (cacao lavado)...where freshly harvested cacao beans are washed off (lavado), removing the surrounding fruit pulp, and not put through a fermentation process.* Skipping this step yields a different flavor profile. (Most cacao is fermented with the pulp--that provides sugars and aids in the fermentation process and develops certain flavors.)

Aroma and flavor notes (for the chocolate before it was prepared) included: cacao with slightly bitter, herbal (faint evergreen/citrus/pine sap/bark, chicle) and spice notes (star anise, faint cinnamon) and barely there chewing gum (tropical fruit, cardamom). (Note: I taste drinking chocolates before and after liquid is added for a full dose of texture and flavors.)

After preparation as a hot beverage with milk: the aroma notes included: light cacao, light cinnamon, faint fresh bread, and vanilla bean. There was still a slight bitterness (and very faint herbal, bubble gum notes), but the hot milk made these notes considerably gentler and it was quite enjoyable with likeable and exotic (to a North American) complexity.

Texture: The unprepared (solid) chocolate was slightly granular (stoneground) with (piloncillo) sugar crystals that slowly dissolved in my mouth. After being prepared, the hot chocolate was smooth and satisfying.

The base (unprepared) chocolate had complex and interesting flavors, including balanced, light pine (terpenes) and light citrus notes that were initially more noticeable than the cinnamon and vanilla bean. When made into a hot beverage, the slight bitterness faded and I enjoyed savoring the complexity. Once stirred into hot water or milk, it transformed and the herbal/pine notes disappeared, while the vanilla bean really blossomed in a lovely way.

I enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to try this unique chocolate, and learning more about the traditions associated with washed cacao. 

Ingredients: "Cacao*, Piloncillo*, Cinnamon*, Vanilla Bean*, Sea Salt*, Cacao Butter* (*sourced direct from small family-owned agroforestry farms in mexico)"

Allergen-related information: "Produced in a facility that also uses Peanuts & Tree Nuts"

*After careful manually harvesting cacao pods, cacao beans are removed from the outer husk. However, instead of fermenting pulp-covered beans, the cacao beans are washed (lavado)--removing the pulp (aka mucilage) that surrounds the beans. The washed beans are then sun-dried--yielding a different flavor profile than a fermented cacao. This can result in slightly bitter, citrus or earth notes; but results will vary depending on many factors.

Washed cacao has been used for thousands of years, and is still relatively common in Mexico. Cacao lavado is most frequently used in drinking chocolates and moles (rich chili sauces that contain cacao as one of many ingredients) in Mexico especially in Chiapas and Oaxaca. Less processing also helps preserve polyphenols/flavanoids.

Cru Chocolate - " Spicy" Cacao Drink (wheel) - Mar. 22, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Cru Chocolate
Spicy - Cacao Drink (wheel)
Good ++ 
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (56.6 g.) in total package of two
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1 serving/wheel

Cost: $8.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Farm Fresh, add-on to produce delivery service

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate and Mexico Theme Week.

Happily it's been easier to find fine, bean-to-bar chocolates from Mexico and chocolates with authentic Mexican or Mexican-inspired flavors in the last several years.

Today's Cru Spicy Cacao Drink from Cru Chocolate (Roseville, CA) was characterized as "Chicano" style. (Cru also offers a tasty Purple Corn Pinole "Mesoamerican" style drinking chocolate.)  

Cru founder, Carla McNeil Rueda, in her description of this drinking chocolate, paid homage to "The Adelitas" who were "the brave fighter women of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920)." She notes: "They probably invented this delicious recipe..." And, yes, "Rueda means "wheel" in English, and this package contained two, foil-wrapped "wheels" of drinking chocolate.

Aroma notes included: rich cocoa and aromatic spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves).

Texture: A small bite from the (unprepared) wheel had a pleasing, slightly grainy (stoneground cacao/crystalline panela*) chocolate texture with finely ground, authentic spices. Much of this hearty, textural quality melted/dissolved when mixed with heated whole milk. The end result was a hearty, smooth and creamy, and flavorful drinking chocolate.

Flavor notes for this 60% cocoa included: rich dark chocolate (cocoa, drinking chocolate), warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves), with a spicy chili kick. 

I always taste a piece of drinking chocolate before making it into a drink; and I enjoyed the "before" (solid chocolate) and the "after" (a satisfyingly rich and creamy beverage) -- that left me, as promised, "relaxed, but alert" and ready to engage with others.

Ingredients: "fermented cacao beans, panela, organic nutmeg, organic cinnamon, organic cloves, organic hot chili pepper blend"

Allergen-related information: Manufactured on equipment that processes peanuts and milk.

*Panela is a caramel-hued, unrefined whole cane sugar, that retains some of the molasses and nutrients missing from refined white (cane and beet) sugars. 

Carolina's Chocolate - Las Abuelas - rich chocolate with hints of raisin 78% Cacao & Pasilla Negra Chile (bar) - Mar. 21, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Carolina's Chocolate
Las Abuelas - rich chocolate with hints of raisin 78% Cacao & Pasilla Negra Chile (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 225 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: AJ's Market, Scottsdale, AZ

Bienvenidas a (welcome to) Day #5 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Las Abuelas (the grandmothers) rich chocolate with hints of raisin 78% Cacao & Pasilla Negra Chile (bar) was from Carolina's Chocolate (Mesa, AZ).

Carolina pays tribute to her two grandmothers with this chocolate and others she makes. 

Aroma and flavor notes for today's bar included: smooth textured and smooth tasting dark chocolate, slightly savory chilies and subtle warm spice (vanilla).

I enjoyed the authentic, balanced chili and cacao flavors. It reminded me of rustic, stoneground chocolate with chilies and spices that you might find in Mexico -- only more finely ground into a very smooth dark chocolate bar form.

Ingredients: Cacao, Pure Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Lecithin, Vanilla, Pasilla Negra and Ancho Chili.

Allergen-related information: Produced in a facility that processes tree nuts.

Moka Origins - Mexico Dark Chocolate Revival Cacao 60% Cacao (bar) - Mar. 20, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Moka Origins
Mexico Dark Chocolate Revival Cacao 60% Cacao (bar)
Good ++ - Good +++
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) / 2.4 oz. (68 g.) total bar
Calories: 190 in 1/2 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Sigona's Market, Palo Alto, CA 

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Mexico Dark Chocolate Revival Cacao 60% Cacao (bar) was from Moka Origins (Honesdale, PA). The company sources both coffee(s) and cacao(s) from select farms and growing regions. They've long focused on fair prices for farmers; and they also support tree-planting efforts and farmer training initiatives.

While I might have preferred a slightly darker, less sweet (70% cacao) version of this bar, I really enjoyed and appreciated the wonderful and nuanced fruit notes in this well-executed 60% chocolate. 

Aroma and flavor notes included: white/wine grape juice; very subtle ripe dark berry; and gently roasted nut (pecan). 

Together, the aroma and flavor notes had a floral elegance to them; i.e. I felt the same satisfaction I've gotten from smelling heirloom roses -- only with fruit notes. Very appealing and in the "just right" zone. 

There was no lingering acidity or bitterness--in short, what one might expect from a fine, heritage/Criollo cacao.

The cacao used to make this bar was from Revival Cacao. Their impressive mission: to revive "4,000 years of cacao history" in Mexico. They work with farms in Tabasco, Chiapas and Oaxaca, including Agua Escondida in Comalcalco, Tabasco--where they got their start.

Maker's Tasting Notes: "Dark chocolate with notes of blackberry, grape & pecan"

Ingredients: "cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter"

Allergen-related information: "Made in a facility that handles nuts, eggs, wheat, soy, almonds, and other tree nuts."

Hijita Chocolateria - Pink Maiz - 70% Dark Chocolate with Heirloom Pink Masa White Chocolate (bar) - Mar. 19, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Hijita Chocolateria
Limited Edition - Pink Maiz - 70% Dark Chocolate + Heirloom Pink Masa White Chocolate (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 326 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar (double check)
Purchased from: Online order from Hijita

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Limited Edition - Pink Maiz - 70% Dark Chocolate with Heirloom Pink Masa White Chocolate (bar) was from Hijita, LLC (Austin, TX). 

The company offers Mexican-inspired chocolates (bars and drinking chocolates molded into elegant sculptural shapes) that highlight Mexican cacao and flavor inclusions. (The cacao for the dark chocolate in today's bar was from cacao producer Agua Escondida (Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico.)

Aroma and flavor notes for this dairy-free, limited edition, two-toned (light mauve-pink atop an ebony base) bar included: chocolate-y chocolate (dark chocolate cake); faint, diffuse fruit (dark berries, very faint citrus); and very faint nut (almond/almond butter). 

The chocolate initially tasted relatively bold in flavor and a little tart (tart berry, citrus). But, when I re-sampled the two layers separately, the 70% dark chocolate base tasted like (relatively smooth) rich, dark chocolate cake; and the upper pink maiz layer was creamy and relatively mild. I'm not sure why the first bite was slightly intense/tart. 

The well-executed flavors and the two layers seemed to harmonize and calm each other a bit after a few bites that blended the two layers. And I kept imagining guitar playing in the background. (Sometimes foods can conjure images, memories and even sounds.) Chocolate magic.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate base, topped with a slightly creamier white (pink) chocolate. I was impressed at the smooth and creamy texture(s). There was no graininess from the pink* masa harina (corn flour), almond (flour) or ground cacao beans in this smooth blend. (It was as creamy as milk chocolate, but contained no dairy.)

I appreciated the balanced complexity, the dark berry notes in the dark chocolate and the thoughtful sourcing of single origin ingredients (from farms in Mexico when possible). This was an attractive, Mexican-inspired dessert in a bar that wasn't over-sugared/too sweet. (Thank you!)

Note: sadly, when I checked the Hijita website today, this bar was sold out.

Ingredients: Mexican Cacao, Heirloom Pink Masa Harina, Almond Flour, Cacao Butter*, Unrefined Cane Sugar* (* Certified Organic)

Allergen-related information: Contains Almonds. Made in a facility that processes Peanuts & Tree Nuts

*Pink Masa is an heirloom variety of corn, typically cultivated/grown at higher altitudes. The soft pink color is from naturally occurring anthocyanin pigments. Freshly harvested cacao beans also contained purple-pink coloration (from these same natural pigments) if you cut them open; although they lose much of this color after cacao beans are processed (fermented, roasted). This ingredient was sourced from Mercado Sin Nombre, in Austin, TX.

Other food sources with anthocyanin include: dark berries and red/purple grapes. The antioxidants from these pigments are frequently cited as offering health benefits.

  

Hijita Chocolateria - Canela & Hazelnut Crunch 70% Agua Escondido (bar) - Mar. 18, 2026

Chocolate of the Day

Hijita Chocolateria
Canela & Hazelnut Crunch 70% Agua Escondida Dark Chocolate 
Good ++
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.) in total bar
Calories: 326 calories (estimate) in 1 bar 
Cost: $16.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Online order from Hijita

Welcome to Day #15 of Chocolate, Pistachio, Hazelnut and Almond Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate & Mexico Theme Week.

Today's Canela & Hazelnut Crunch 70% Agua Escondida Dark Chocolate (bar) was from Hijita, LLC (Austin, TX).

Cacao origin: Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico, from the producer Agua Escondida.* 

Aroma and flavor notes included: balanced and nuanced dark chocolate (faint diffuse fruit - dark, ripe berry, mild citrus (orange/tangerine)); nut (hazelnut); faint, authentic vanilla bean and warm spice (cinnamon); very faint brown sugar-molasses (piloncillo); and very faint sea salt.

Texture: smooth dark chocolate; and crunchy, hazelnut bits.

I enjoyed this balanced, well-executed dark chocolate, made possible by the use of carefully sourced single origin/single region, quality and organic ingredients including: the Mexican cacao; the unrefined cane sugar; and the Mexican cinnamon and Mexican vanilla bean. 

Maker's Tasting Notes: Blueberry, Molasses, Citrus

Ingredients: Cacao*, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Organic Hazelnut, Cinnamon*, Vanilla Bean*, Organic Cacao Butter, Sea Salt* (* = sourced direct from small family-owned agroforestry farms in Mexico)

Allergen-related information: Contains Hazelnuts. Made in a facility that processes Peanuts & Tree Nuts

* Note: the Canela & Hazelnut bar currently on the Hijita website indicates Mexican cacao region (origin) may change/include Soconusco, Chiapas as well for this bar.