What Mexicans Drink When It’s Cold

Traditionally not coffee

Your first thought may be, cold? In Mexico? There is usually a week or two each winter when we get rain (called las cabañuelas) and cloudy weather here in Morelia. We are over 6,000 ft above sea level. Houses have no central heating. At night, it’s 40 F outside and 55 F inside. Cold. My wife piles the blankets on the bed and tops them off with one that feels like it’s made out of lead.

On days like this, we turn to a traditional, hot drink called atole (instructions on how to make your own are included at the end of the article).

Atole and tamales for sale on a winter morning in Tlalpujahua, Michoacan.

I scientifically proved that atole will keep you warmer than coffee or tea by doing the following. I heated a cup of lukewarm coffee until it was ready to drink. Then, I did the same with the same amount of atole. It took 50% longer to get the atole to the same temperature. Just think of all that heat being released into your chilly body!

Atole is made from corn, or maize. On Diego Rivera’s…