The Family Legacy of the "é" in El Rancho Chocolaté

The Secret Behind El Rancho Chocolaté: A Story of Land, Spice, and a Magical Name

At the heart of every great story lies a secret, and for the children's book El Rancho Chocolaté, that secret is woven into its very name. You might glance at "chocolaté" and think, "Aha! A charming misspelling for a children's book." But you'd be mistaken. It's actually a magical story. While the Spanish word chocolate (pronounced choh-koh-LAH-teh) typically has no accent, this ranch's special accent mark was inspired by a unique spiced chocolate brew so complex and comforting, it was considered a té (tea).

This magical brew was created in the olden days, sometime in the early 1800s, on a piece of land with a rich family legacy. The story has been passed down from mothers to daughters. It's the tale Berta and Rita's mother, Lilia, would tell, a story of her own parents, Bernardo and Rita, the abuela - Nana in the story, and the history behind the word chocolaté with its accent.

In those days, Bernardo worked the rugged and sunbaked fields of South Texas and Mexico to make money, a life of hard labor and long absences. When it was time for his wife Rita to visit her own mother, Petra, in Nuevo León, Mexico, Bernardo would send her on a journey by horse and wagon, accompanied by some of their 8 children, including young Lilia. Their path was long and treacherous. The remote trails were a haven for bandits and outlaws, making robbery a constant risk. The rugged landscape itself posed a serious threat, with rough trails, unpredictable weather, and a lack of proper roads that could easily cause a breakdown. With no doctors, stores, or other help for miles, a simple broken axle or a sick family member could quickly turn into a life-threatening catastrophe.

On one such journey, their wagon did break down, stranding the family far from any town. A merchant on a horse passing in the opposite direction was kind enough to take word back to Bernardo for help. As if by a miracle, Bernardo appeared, having received the message. He worked quickly to fix the wagon, and once it was whole, Rita and the children continued their journey to see Petra. Petra was a respected curandera—in her community, a traditional healer. She lived on a piece of property that had been passed down through generations growing crops on it's fertile soil. Unlike her ancestors who believed the land to be buried with gold and riches from conquistadores and land pirates, she recognized the true treasure of her tierra - the land's ability to grow crops.

This is where the story of the hot cocoa té begins. While the land around Petra's ranch was fertile enough to grow an assortment of potent chiles and sweet sugarcane (the cañaverales), the precious cacao and a few secret spices that she needed to make her strong healing brew were treasures that could only be acquired from traders. Merchants would have brought these rare and valuable cacao beans and spices on mules from the humid tropics of southern Mexico. Petra, a true curandera, would trade her prized harvests of sugarcane and chiles for these cacao beans and spices from traders on this remote frontier. A constant exchange of goods and knowledge would happen with these travelers also helping to spread the word of Petra's healing abilities.

As a curandera, she blended the cacao with secret herbs and spices, crafting a type of hot cocoa with medicinal properties, believed to have healing qualities. The hot cocoa brew was more than just a drink; it was a powerful remedy, used to heal her family and others who sought her wisdom. As word of her healing powers continued to travel across the vast, open lands of Texas, people from distant communities would embark on long, arduous journeys to reach her remote ranch, seeking her wisdom and the magical brew.

Her recipe called for a complex blend of warming spices: fragrant cinnamon, pungent cloves, earthy nutmeg, and a tantalizing whisper of fiery chile de arbol and cayenne, but to this day, the exact blend of spices she used remains a lost secret, and it's whispered that there may be some other secret ingredients in her recipe.This rich, thick concoction was more akin to a soothing, invigorating brew or tonic – a flavorful té (tea). The word té perfectly captured the depth and complexity of her creation.

When a family or community member would fall ill, the brew would be used to treat ailments. The cinnamon was used for indigestion, while the nutmeg had a calming effect to soothe a person struggling with sleeplessness. The powerful cloves could numb a toothache. The chile, with its capsaicin could stimulate blood flow and provide a warming, pain-relieving sensation, making it a valuable remedy for muscle aches or poor circulation. The sugarcane would aid in digestion and provide quick energy to combat fatigue. This special blend would be a first line of defense, a medicinal drink.

When the time came to give her cherished home and ranch a name so that travelers and people needing services could find her, abuela dipped her paintbrush into a pot of her deep rich brown signature brew, and painted the name "El Rancho Chocolate" on a sign to be placed at the ranch's front gate. As she completed the last letter, a powerful vision unfolded in her mind of the land's future and her family's destiny. In that moment, her hand trembled, and the brush dipped, leaving behind a perfect accent mark above the "e". It became a symbol to all of the healing strength of her chocolate té. It's the moment that abuela fused these words together to make it her very own unique brew of chocolaté.

From that day forward, El Rancho Chocolaté became more than just a name. The accent on the final 'e' isn't just a playful nod to a comforting té; it's a symbol that embodies the unique, spice-infused brew that became the ranch's signature offering. And it captures the very essence of abuela's vision: a place of warmth, joy, healing, food, music, and delicious magic.

After weeks spending time with her mother, Petra, Rita needed to make the return journey to the family's home in South Texas. As she guided the wagon home, her instincts led them to a small, exceptionally fertile piece of deep brown earthy land and she knew that this was meant to be her family's treasure, a new place for her and Bernardo to put down roots, grow crops and carry on her mother's legacy. Here, she cultivated the chiles and sugarcane, just as her mother. The precious cacao was still acquired from traders, but now the brewing and healing were hers to command. In honor of her mother and the ranch that had inspired her, she bestowed the same name, El Rancho Chocolaté upon their new home. As she painted the name on the gate she trembled with a flash of the past and a future revealed. The vision of the past—a glimpse of a conquistador's treasure chest being buried under a crooked tree, the gold and jewels sparkling for a moment before being swallowed by the earth. But the vision did not linger on this fleeting wealth. It shifted to her mother, Petra, standing in her garden smiling, then it showed her own family, growing and flourishing on this very land—Bernardo's strong hands working the fields, her children's laughter echoing through the trees. She saw generations to come, making their own special brew, their own Chocolaté. The ranch, once a lonely patch of dirt, became a sanctuary, a landmark on the map of her family's history. This powerful glimpse of her family's endurance and the land's enduring magic—a true treasure far more valuable than gold.

For yoiung Berta, Rita and Elda, the adventurers of our story, El Rancho Chocolaté, this story isn't just something they're told. They discover it through their own spirit of exploration. Whispers from their current abuela about the land's long lost treasure spark their curiosity. Their true quest begins when they unearth a long forgotten map.

The unique name of El Rancho Chocolaté is a reminder that sometimes, the most beautiful stories are hidden in plain sight, waiting for an adventurous spirit to uncover their magical truth. So, the next time you encounter "chocolaté" with an accent, remember: it's not a mistake; it's a creative brushstroke of meaning.

Rekindling the Tradition

When you visit the world of El Rancho Chocolaté, you're not just enjoying a drink; you're partaking in a tradition that was nearly lost. The ambiance, rich with history and warmth, invites us to sit back, unwind, and indulge in a story as rich as the brew itself. Abuela's unique blend of cacao and spices was a secret passed down through a family lineage connected to King Ferdinand himself, a brew so precious people traveled for miles. While the exact recipe remains a family secret, you can honor this legacy and recreate its magic by making a traditional Mexican hot chocolate with your own unique, modern twist.

You can begin with our classic recipe for a rich and spicy Mexican hot chocolate and then add other ingredients known for their healing properties, just as abuela would have. By doing this, you can be your own curandera. Incorporate turmeric for its powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, or a bit of vanilla for its calming and soothing aroma. Feel free to experiment with a pinch of ginger for digestion or a dash of cardamom for its digestive and anti-inflammatory effects. By blending these ingredients, you're not just creating a drink; you're crafting a moment of comfort, and a connection to the past. Remember to savor every sip as it's a link to a history that has been beautifully restored for everyone to enjoy.