Bate, Bate, Chocolate

That title is from a children's chant I came across years ago and incorporated into the multilingual program I designed for young kids. It's about beating the hot chocolate, with a utensil called a molinillo./when I first got it I thought it was a musical instrument, like a rattle. And when I asked kids to guess what it was they usually guessed that too.  It's a wooden implement, similar to a whisk. I have one at home that I also used in the program. These many years later, I still remember the chant. It's like things from my own elementary school Spanish classes, like a tacky poem about the American flag that I can still recite. It starts with Roja, blanca, y azul, que bonito es mi bandera. I'll spare you the rest. 

I wonder if any of the kids I had in my program in Beverly still remember the chocolate chant, or any of the other elements of the program. I hope so. The main part of the program consisted of using familiar children's books, Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I chose them for their lyrical repititive qualities more than their renown, although that is also part of the reason they are such classics. I firmly believe in the use of music and rhythm and rhyme as a key part of language learning. I collected copies of the three books in as many languages I could find, and especially of Wild Things since the main character is named Max. I think I have it in about eight different languages, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, a few more. 

But back to Mexican chocolate. It is different from other chocolate.  It has cinnamon in it. It may have other things too. I tried to find some unsweetend chocolate in the supermarket but couldn't. All the chocolate they had was sweetened and meant for hot chocolate. They did have some eating chocolate but it was not Mexican, was brands like Lindt and Hersheys.  The reason I wanted unsweetened Mexican chocolate is because I have been making my own mocha blend at home, half coffee and half unsweeted chocolate, put thru the French press. I've become quite fond of it. 

So, I wound up getting the Mexican table chocolate (that's what they call it) a brand called Abuelita. (little grandma.) That's me, I guess. The illustration of abuelita is remarkably similar to Robin Williams as Mrs. Doubtfire.  It comes in a large tablet, serrated into 8 sections with the letters ABUELITA .  Cute. I was dissappointed to see it's owned by Nestle, though. 

So, every morning here I've been making my mocha with a cup of coffee and a section of Abuelita heated in the microwave. But the chocolate doesn't seem to quite melt  no matter how much I stir it. Which made me think, that's why you need the molinillo. Sure enough, as I read the package more carefully it specifically says it's best to stir it with a molinillo. Only problem, that won't work with a single mug, it's too big. And there isn't one in our kitchen here anyway.  The directions are more for making a quantity, a liter I think. Or maybe it will work with one of my large mugs and  molinillo at home. I'll have to try.

I've tried nibbling at the edge of the chocolate. It's not reallly meant or good for eating as a bar. The taste is good but it's very granular. Maybe there will be some Mexican bar chocolate in the big city, Oaxaca. We are heading there tomorrow for our last week in the country. 

So, this is our last night here in Estahuite beach. It's been much like the others. Breakfast in our apartment, eggs or yogurt and granola with bananas. Except for two days when we had breakfast at one of the beach restaurants. We had lunch, our usual shrimp ceviche with guacamole and tostadas, after a couple of hours lounging on the beach and playing in the water. Then  another couple of hours on the beach, and back here late afternoon. Tonight we'll pack, play cards, and read after eating up as much of the food we have left. Crackers, cheese, more avocados, cookies, rum and soda. Will probably take some of the leftovers with us and leave what we can't use for the two women who are the caretakers/housekeepers here. 

We will drive back to Oaxaca, leaving the car at the airport and then taxi into town.  Several years ago, at one of our salons, we had two Oaxacan woodcarvers, father and son, do a demonstration of their work at our house. They brought along a bunch of their delightful animal carvings, which are known as alejibres. There are towns around Oaxaca city that each specialize in a certain kind of handicraft that has been handed down through generations. The town that the Venturas are from is right on the way to Oaxaca so we hope we can find them. The father, Fabian, has since died, but Norberto, the son, and his wife continue the tradition.  I think he still comes to Massachussetts each October to help celebrate Dia de los Muertoss, and demonstrate and sell their work. 

This should be the last post from our beach sojourn, unless something extraordinary happens tonight!  More from the city in a few days. 

Oh, here's the whole Bate Chocolate chant:

Uno dos tres, cho, uno dos tres, co, uno dos la, uno dos tres, te. 

Bate, bate, chocolate! 

(using both hands to mime the action of twirling the molinillo to mix the hot chocolate in the pot.)