Molinillo
Display: Global Gastronomy
Culinary Technique: aeration
Date: 20th Century
Location: Mexico
A hand-carved, turned, wooden molinillo works as a whisk or stirrer to froth warm drinks such as hot chocolate. A user holds the molinillo between two hands, palms together, and twists it quickly for rapid rotations. Spanish colonists in Mexico invented the tool in the 1700s. They brought chocolate back to Spain, where the drink became so popular that European porcelain manufacturers began making specialized pots and cups to serve it hot.