Tejate

Tejate is a pre-hispanic cold beverage made with corn, white cocoa beans, mamey seeds, corozo palm fruits, cocoa flowers and sugar. As is the case with many pre-hispanic preparations, this one is a labor of love that involves grinding corn, toasting the seeds and fruit on a comal, pulverizing the toasted ingredients, and slowing mixing with water by hand  to achieve the ideal texture and foamy cap. Kept ice cold, the tejate is served in jicara, hand-painted gourde cups made from guajes. The oils from the cocoa solidify and float on the surface. It is delicious, not too sweet, and very refreshing.