Abuelita is a Mexican-style
hot chocolate also known as chocolate para mesa (English: "table chocolate") owned by the
Nestlé company.[1] It was originally invented and commercialized in Mexico in 1939,[2] by Fábrica de Chocolates La Azteca.[3] The name is an affectionate
Spanish word for "grandma" (literally translated as "little grandmother" or "granny"). Since 1973, Mexican actress
Sara García has been the image for the brand,[4] It is now produced and sold in
chocolate tablets, syrup, or individual packets of powdered mix.
Overview
The Abuelita product ingredients (in order of percentage): sugar, chocolate processed with alkali, soy lecithin, vegetable oils (palm,
shea nut and/or
illipe nut), artificial cinnamon flavor,
PGPR (an emulsifier).[5] The Abuelita Hot Chocolate has been a
Mexican staple product since 1939 and can be identified by its unique taste and packaging.
One suggested method for preparing Abuelita is to bring a saucepan of milk (not water) to a boil, then add the tablet of chocolate and stir continuously with a whisk or molinillo (a whisk-like wooden stirring spoon native to
Meso America). This action is done until it has reached a melted and bubbly or creamy. The drink is served hot or chilled to mix with alcoholic beverages.
Abuelita is often prepared for special occasions,[6] such as
Day of the Dead (a holiday in which people remember their family and friends whose spirits departed to the afterlife) and
Las Posadas[7] (Christmas season).
1 Currently manufactured by
General Mills in the U.S. and Canada. Produced by
Cereal Partners under the Nestlé brand elsewhere. 2 Brand owned by
General Mills; U.S. and Canadian production rights controlled by Nestlé under license. 3 U.S. production rights owned by
The Hershey Company. 4 U.S. rights and production owned by the
Smarties Candy Company with a different product. 5 U.S. rights and specific trade dress owned by Nestlé; rights elsewhere owned by
Associated British Foods. 6 Produced by Cereal Partners, branded as Nestlé. 7 Produced by Cereal Partners and branded as Nestlé in the U.K. and Ireland. Produced by
Post Foods elsewhere. 8 Philippine production rights owned by
Alaska Milk Corporation. 9 Singaporean, Malaysian and Thai production rights owned by
Fraser and Neave. 10 Used only in Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia. 11 Used only in the Philippines. 12 U.S. production rights owned by the
Ferrara Candy Company. 13NA rights and specific trade dress to all packaged coffee and other products under the Starbucks brand owned by Nestlé since 2019. 14 Brand owned by
Mars, sold by Nestlé in Canada. 15 Produced by
Froneri in the U.S. since 2020.