Ronnie McKee (asker) Nov 13, 2007:

I think its interesting the variations we are getting on this, I could only think of a load of wash, Marina and Patricia went straight to the verb colar, and Deborah has come up with cornmeal much! This is a book on the history of chocolate and it originates in the Pais Vasco, but because of the source of cacao it has words from everywhere, so its confusing, but I suspect we're talking about the sifting process.

Ronnie McKee (asker) Nov 13, 2007:

Marga, It was my typo. Yes I understand that many of words I'm dealing with are of indigenous origin, and the book is a history of chocolate, so that part's clear. But what about the colada?

Margarita Gonzalez Nov 13, 2007:

It's talking about the way chocolate was made, and in regions such as Oaxaca or Michoacán it is still made the same way. By the way, the millstone is called mEtate, perhaps there's a typo there (matate)