Maximize Your Hot Cocoa Experience with a Molinillo Whisk

In Bogotá's cool afternoons, warm drinks and carb-heavy snacks are the norm. Unlike English tea traditions that favor scones and cucumber sandwiches, in the Colombian capital, the classic onces santafereñas (afternoon snacks) feature tamales and pandeyucas, enjoyed alongside a cup of rich, frothy hot chocolate. Colombian hot chocolate offers a delightful texture and deep chocolate flavor, far superior to the bland Swiss Miss, and is typically whisked by hand on the stovetop using a molinillo.

This nearly foot-long wooden whisk has been a staple in Central America for centuries, ensuring the perfect hot cocoa. Although the exact origins of cacao are debated, Mesoamerican Indigenous peoples are known to have utilized chocolate for rituals, medicine, and as currency, so it's fitting they would create an efficient tool for mixing drinking chocolate. Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún recorded the molinillo’s role in Aztec culture in the 16th century, and remnants of foamy drinking chocolate have also been found in ancient Mayan artifacts.

As noted in the Larousse Encyclopedia of Mexican Gastronomy, the term molinillo originates from the Nahuatl word “moliniani,” which translates to move or wiggle. To use the molinillo, instead of stirring like you would with a spoon, place its end in a pot of hot water (or milk) and chocolate, then rub the handle between your palms. This action creates a small whirlpool, incorporating both the cocoa and oxygen into the mixture. While other methods can aerate drinks (like transferring between pitchers or using electric blenders), the molinillo produces a uniquely light froth.

The molinillo's enduring appeal as a historical cooking tool — along with its journey to Colombia — can be attributed to its clever design, user-friendly nature, and striking appearance. Above all, the molinillo is cherished for the exceptional texture it imparts to every cup of cocoa.

The Importance of Having One

In 2014, researchers from the Institute of Biotechnology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico studied the molinillo’s remarkable ability to generate foam. They discovered that the whisk blades could spin at speeds of about 7 miles per hour, efficiently drawing in air and distributing it throughout the liquid. Additionally, they noted that the high protein and fatty acid content in cocoa facilitated the creation of finer, more uniform bubbles, resulting in a texture that is significantly lighter than the thick whipped milk topping on a cappuccino.

Then there's the molinillo's striking appearance. Often crafted as a stunning piece of art, the tool is elaborately carved from a single piece of soft wood, featuring decorative burn patterns and ornamental rings that can rotate independently around its base. While some versions are purely decorative, even the simplest utilitarian models add beauty to any kitchen.

If you find you don’t consume enough hot chocolate to warrant space for a molinillo in your drawer, it can also be used for atole, a range of thickened Mexican beverages made with corn, including the chocolate variant known as champurrado. Moreover, it’s useful at the bar for muddling fruits and herbs, as well as mixing cocktails. José Luis León, the bar director for the RitualH group in Mexico City, has substituted his molinillo for a swizzle stick, giving a local twist to a punch made with guava, green apple, lemon, Becherovka, amaretto, and whiskey.

While you could easily whip up a drink using Hershey’s or Ghirardelli chocolate, true drinking chocolate thrives with flavors rooted in Mesoamerica, similar to the whisk itself (though as this tool made its way to South America, including Colombia, fluffy hot chocolate naturally paired with a diverse array of flavors). In his 1590 work, Natural and Moral History of the Indies, the Spanish Jesuit José de Acosta noted that Indigenous peoples would add chile and spices to their chocolate. Renowned Mexican chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita has found evidence that chocolate was seasoned with allspice, vanilla, and edible flowers, often sweetened with honey from melipona bees. “The drink was bitter and not sweet as it is known today, but it was a good bitterness,” Zurita remarks.

A handful of shops, such as La Rifa Chocolatería in Mexico City, provide traditional bitter chocolate, while supermarket options like Ibarra and Abuelita offer intriguing flavors including almond and cinnamon alongside sugar and cocoa. Taza elevates their chocolate with various types of chile, rich 85 percent dark chocolate, or coffee. These flavor combinations, enhanced by the molinillo's texture, create a much more complex and invigorating drink compared to a bland cup of milky cocoa.

How to Utilize One

While traditional drinking chocolate would typically be prepared with water, the molinillo can also be used with milk or a blend of both. It’s ideal to use the hard chocolate tablets commonly found in Latin America, as they add a rustic, grainy texture along with a pleasing balance of sweetness and bitterness. Although chocolate powder can be used, tablets usually contain a higher fat content, resulting in a richer foam.

For optimal results, having a bit of technique is beneficial. Start by heating water or milk with the chocolate on the stove, chop a tablet, and add it to the liquid. Fully submerge the molinillo and begin rubbing the whisk between your hands to help the tablet dissolve. Continue to spin the whisk as you slowly bring it toward the surface to create a lovely foamy head. “The molinillo blades should be half-submerged, allowing the chocolate to release its delightful foam,” explained Yuri de Gortari, a well-known authority on Mexican cuisine, in a 2014 video. “It’s crucial that [the liquid] does not boil to allow the foam to form.” It may take some practice, but once you master the technique, you’ll never want to prepare it any other way.

How to Acquire One

Today, artisans in the Mexican states of Michoacán, Oaxaca, and Puebla are known for their molinillo craftsmanship. While the designs have seen some changes over the years, the contemporary tool closely resembles its original form. You can find molinillos at Mexican grocery stores or purchase one online from Amazon or Imported Mexican Foods.

Molinillo (Mexican Hot Chocolate Whisk)

• $19 at Amazon

Liliana López Sorzano is a food and travel writer who splits her time between Mexico City and Bogotá, Colombia, contributing to various local and international publications. She previously served as editor-in-chief at Food & Wine in Spanish.