the same way they are making it today. Atole is a drink made with masa, finely ground corn flour, and only when chocolate is added does it become champurrado. "The word 'Atole' is derived from Nahuatl, the still-living language of the Mexicas and other indigenous tribes of Mexico. Atole was popular long before the arrival of Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in 1521. Champurrado has been consumed in Mexico for centuries and that comes to no surprise as atole is one of the easiest ways to consume corn as it was first cultivated in the Americas." To create this drink in a traditional way, a kitchen utensil existing since prehistoric times called metate is used: "a piece of porous volcanic rock on three legs tilted for use as grinding surface. The grinding is done by passing back and forth over this surface with an oblong piece of the same material. Throughout history this process was never done by a man. Women kneeled down grinding the corn using the oblong tool and the weight of her body. Grinding the kernels is a slow and tiresome process but comes the masa needed to produce atole and champurrado." See also Abuelita Champorado Tejate List of chocolate drinks List of hot drinks List of maize dishes References Non-alcoholic drinks Mexican drinks Maize-based drinks Chocolate drinks Hot drinks Mesoamerican cuisine Christmas food Day of the Dead food Cuisine of the Southwestern United States