What Are Chochoyotes?

The Spruce / Robin Grose

If you’ve never heard of chochoyotes (pronounced like cho-cho-YOH-tehs), you are not alone—these wonderful dumpling-like goodies seem to be little known outside their native land. That’s a shame, though, because chochoyotes (also called chocholos, chochoyos, textlales, and other names, depending on region) are straight-up Mexican comfort food. These little balls of masa cooked in broth are surprisingly tasty, filling, and easy to make, and they will warm your body and spirit on a cold day better than almost anything else will.

Chochoyotes are often present in the soups and brothy stews of central and southern Mexico and are somewhat analogous to the dumplings used in northern climes. Made of corn masa, they are pre-Hispanic in origin and are, in a way, basically tiny tamales floating in a sea of liquid goodness. They appear in some of Oaxaca´s traditional moles, the central zone´s chicken soups, and Veracruz’s black bean broth, among other traditional dishes.

In their basic form, chochoyotes contain corn masa (the same kind used to make tortillas and tamales), pork lard, and salt. Often, however, other ingredients are added. Herbs such as epazote, hoja santa, avocado leaf, or cilantro—or other elements like garlic, cheese, or the crispy morsels left in the oil when frying chicharrón—are among the most common add-ins. In some places, the chochoyotes themselves are stuffed with cheese or some other ingredient.

Chochoyotes start out as small balls of masa, each about an inch in diameter. A deep indentation is made into each sphere, though, to ensure that the dough ball gets cooked through.

The raw chochoyotes are dropped into the hot broth and simmered. During the cooking process, a small portion of the masa from the balls dissolves into the liquid, thickening the broth slightly and making it richer. Aside from adding flavor and nutrition, chochoyotes are filling and thus help to “stretch” a soup or stew in an economical way. They are also a great add-in for people who need or want to avoid gluten in their diets, as the corn dough is naturally gluten-free.