Customer Reviews

Ibarra Mexican Chocolate, 19 oz

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

First off - this is not an "instant' product the way most americans expect Hot Cocoa products to be. It comes in cakes and must be ground either with a mortar & pestle or in a very sturdy grinder/blender. It is a basic recipe which suits the majority. Therefore, if you want it to be super spicy, you need to dress it up a bit. Follow the package instructions for best results but use a whisk. It needs to be made in a saucepan on top of the stove or in a Mr. Coffee Cocomotion machine.

Grind the cakes in advance for maximum convenience and use 1 and a half times the recommended amount for best results. Use whole milk for best results or 2%. Skim milk just doesn't work as well. For a spicier mug of cocoa, add ground chili powder to taste. You can also add a piece of vanilla bean while cooking if you like that. If you want even more cinnamon taste, you can cook with a cinnamon stick. You can add espresso powder as well for a nice change of pace. Instant coffee will do in a pinch plus that's a good way to get rid of intsant coffee!

It's best to try a few mugs of Ibarra before you decide to spice it up. The flavor will grow on you. If you don't feel like paying the shipping fees, ask your grocer if they carry this item. Most chain grocery stores with a Hispanic section do carry Ibarra.

...and yet another recipe, even easier: Pour as much of whatever milk you like into a microwaveable mug. Drop in 1/4 of a disc. Microwave until YOUR microwave gets it as hot as you like. Stir with a spoon (the chocolate will be all nice and melty) until it mixes up. Kids might appreciate one extra tsp. of sugar, but I like it like this. Good, good stuff. Abuelita is good too, but this just that much better.

There is nothing better than Ibarra hot chocolate! But all you really have to do is put two wedges of the chocolate, roughly chopped, into the blender with a cup of hot milk and frappe it. No simmering needed! (I nuke the milk.) Mmm, foamy and delicious!

if you've walked into a coffee shop and ordered a mexican mocha and they handed back something with chocolate syrup and cinnamon sprinkled on the top of your drink, then you have not had a mexican mocha.

three things (maybe four) for a perfect mexican mocha. espresso(or any good coffee), milk and grated ibarra mexican chocolate(abuelita will do if ibarra is unavailable). that's it! the fourth item, should you so choose, is to add a bit of vanilla extract. try the short menu first and see if just doesn't make you hum with pleasure. add whipped cream and sprinkle more of the grated chocolate on top. whatever you feel like doing. just do it! you will never be disappointed.

i make at least two of these in a soup-bowl sized mug(you know, the size you get at that cool, funky coffee shop down the street) and a hot shower every morning in order to greet work with a smile. it is a pleasure so fierce you'll think it's sinful. they are thick, rich and oh, so very good. try one at home or ask your favorite (non-starbucks) barrista to make you a latte and add your own ibarra if they don't have it and then ask them if they want a sip. i wouldn't be at all surprised if mexican mocha showed up on the menu five minutes later.

This chocolate was too hard and bitter for me. Tried it in my coffee and threw both out. Love mexican blend coffee, but not this product.

I too had the pleasure to taste the real deal in Mexico. I loved it. when I came home I sought out the real deal here in the stares, I guess I did not look very far but I did come up with this pretty good substitute. I also like nestles brand Mexican chocolate, I tried them side by side and they are almost exactly the same.
I love the texture and I often, more than not, eat it just the way it is right from the bar. But to make a good Mexican cocoa you need to use a paddle and put the chocolate in the cup, pour over the hot milk and paddle it till it is melted and foamy. You do not need to microwave it, yuck! You do not have to put it in the blender, Mexican people, for the most part, do not use blenders for their hot cocoa. I buy it is the store it is too expensive here.

Couldn't wait to try this product. Loved the fact I tried it. Easy to make, creamy texture, rich chocolate taste.

A friend described the hot chocolate her Mexican mother made for her when she was a kid. It was nowhere to be fund in Rochester, New York (not even at Wegman's and they have everything). We had to hunt online because she couldn't remember the name, just what the package looked like. Of course the shipping was more than the product but next time I'll purchase a volume because it is really good. It was just as she remembered.

Ibarra is made with ground cacao nibs ("cacao paste"), not processed chocolate powder, so there is much more theobromine in it than in other chocolate products. If you are looking for a chocolate high, this is the product for you! You don't need a blender either. Just take a good chef's knife, cut off a piece of Ibarra, and slice the knife along one edge, progressively shaving down the block to a powder. Watch your fingers if you do this--we don't need any more Aztec blood sacrifice! Mix well with warm milk and enjoy the drink of the gods!

I was first turned onto this chocolate when I visited a private Mexican themed coffee shop. I love a good mocha and that's usually how I judge a coffee shop first. This mocha was one-of-a-kind! I had to know what was in it. It was IBARRA!

Basically, Mexican chocolate is pure cocoa with cinnamon. IBARRA also adds some sugar and an emulsifier (which is why I only give it 4 stars). I have made mochas and hot chocolates at home and my guests think I'm a god (maybe an Aztec god!). It just really brings an orginal taste unlike any of those other cheap sugary brands (Nestle, Hershey's, ect.).

I highly recommend it. But two suggestions: IBARRA comes in "bricks" that you must chop or grind. We use a coffee bean grinder, but make sure it's a good quality grinder or cut the pieces into smaller pieces. Otherwise you might have a broken coffee bean grinder. For a real authentic feel you can use a stone and pistol just fine. And a recipe suggestion: Grind a portion of a Hazelnut for an added spice. ENJOY!