Every October, a package of Diego's Chocolate makes its way from our warehouse to a family in Texas, continuing a tradition years in the making. This customer, who has been with us since our early days, orders our Puro chocolate roll specifically to prepare champurrado with his mother for El Día de San Simón.
"Nothing from the local Latino grocery stores comes close," he tells me. "Using Diego's makes all the difference in honoring this special day." Their story perfectly illustrates how chocolate transcends being merely a treat - it's a vital thread weaving through cultural traditions, family bonds, and sacred practices.
I still vividly remember my first encounter with San Simón's shrine back in 2012. While visiting Santiago Atitlán, a town gracing the shores of Guatemala's Lake Atitlán, a young local guide offered to show me the home where the shrine was housed at that time. Walking into the room, I was struck by the meticulous care given to the altar. The air was thick with incense, and offerings of every kind - tobacco, alcohol, money, and yes, chocolate - surrounded the folk saint's effigy. It was a powerful reminder of chocolate's enduring role in Maya spiritual traditions.
San Simón, also known as Maximón, holds particular significance in Guatemala's Maya highlands. While October 28th marks his feast day, visitors seek his shrine in Santiago Atitlán year-round. This complex folk saint, representing a fascinating blend of Maya spirituality and Catholic traditions, is honored in ways that reflect the deep, living cultural traditions of Central America.
For our Texas family and many others, preparing champurrado is both celebration and ceremony. This isn't your ordinary hot chocolate - it's a rich, warm embrace of chocolate, masa harina (corn flour), panela, cinnamon, and vanilla.
The corn flour creates a thick, velvety texture that makes champurrado both beverage and sustenance. After years of preparation, our customer shared his family's perfected method: freeze the Diego's Puro roll first, then grate it finely directly into the hot liquid. This technique ensures the chocolate melts evenly, creating that signature silky texture that makes champurrado so special.
Throughout Guatemala, Mexico, and beyond, people honor San Simón in various ways - from elaborate home altars to pilgrimages, from special offerings to shared meals. What fascinates me is how chocolate, particularly traditional drinking chocolate like our Puro roll, remains central to these celebrations - just as it was centuries ago in ancient Maya ceremonies.
Whether you're maintaining traditions like our Texas family, creating new ceremonies, or simply wanting to experience chocolate as something deeper than a sweet indulgence, we invite you to explore how Diego's can be part of your meaningful moments. Our Puro chocolate roll, made in Guatemala using traditional methods and cacao grown on Maya lands, carries within it centuries of tradition and ceremony.
Ready to create your own chocolate traditions? Visit our online shop to order your Puro chocolate rolls, perfect for champurrado and other traditional preparations. We'd love to hear how you incorporate our chocolate into your celebrations - tag us in your social media posts and share your stories!
Try Champurrado at home
Freeze your Diego's Puro roll overnight. When ready to prepare, heat your liquid mixture of choice with masa harina, panela, cinnamon, and vanilla. Grate the frozen chocolate directly into the hot liquid, whisking continuously until fully incorporated. A perfectly smooth, rich drink worthy of any celebration is your result.
