The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: December thirteenth, simmering like water for chocolate.

Chocolate is a way of life in many parts of the globe, but no place more than Mexico, the land where it originated. When the Spanish arrived in Mexico in 1519, the natives had been sipping an elixir made from cacao seeds for 3000 years. Toasted cacao seeds were ground into paste and flavored with pepper, vanilla or cinnamon. Water was added and heated to near boiling. After removing the greasy scum that rose to the top, they beat the mixture into a froth. The Aztecs considered this bitter potion a gift from the god Quetzacoatl, a drink for the rich and royal, a symbol of life, an aphrodisiac. The Spaniards got the idea of adding sugar. The three chests of cacao beans Cortez sent back to Spain quickly conquered the Old World.

Empires have risen and fallen, but Mexicans have retained their passionate relationship with chocolate. The popular expression and book title, "Like Water for Chocolate" refers to emotions kept just below the boiling point, ready to explode. There is ritual to chocolate's preparation. The molinillo, a carved wooden stick with moving rings is used to whip the hot chocolate into sweet foam.

Most Mexican cacao grows in coastal plantations which dot the lush tropical forests of the Tabasco region, but the city of Oaxaca is the capital of chocolate. Oaxaca's markets and cafes are rich with the aroma, and local cooking schools tutor visitors in the many arts of its preparation. Choco-holics will think they have died and gone to heaven.

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