Hot cocoa, also known as hot chocolate, is made up of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and frequently a sweetener like whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate made with melted chocolate has a thicker consistency and less sweetness, and is sometimes referred to as drinking chocolate.
The earliest chocolate beverage is supposed to have been created by the Maya between 2,500 and 3,000 years ago. The Aztecs had mastered the chocolate beverage by the year 1400 AD, which they termed xocltl. The beverage acquired popularity after being imported to Europe from Mexico in the New World and has since undergone several changes. Up until the nineteenth century, hot chocolate was used as a medicine to treat ailments like liver and stomach disorders.
Hot chocolate is a beverage enjoyed all over the world and is available in a variety of forms, such as the spiced chocolate para mesa of Latin America, the extremely thick cioccolata calda offered in Italy and Spain, and the thinner hot cocoa drank in the United States. A variety of places, including cafeterias, fast food restaurants, coffee shops, and tea shops, sell prepared hot chocolate. In grocery shops and online, powdered hot chocolate mixes are available to make the beverage at home by mixing them with hot milk or water.
There is suspicion that chocolate predates even the Mayans; archaeologists have discovered evidence of Mayan chocolate consumption dating back to 500 BC. The Maya mashed cocoa seeds into a paste and combined it with water, cornmeal, chile peppers, and other ingredients to form the chocolate beverage, which was served chilled. After that, they repeatedly poured the beverage from a cup into a saucepan until a substantial foam formed. Maya of all social groups had access to chocolate, while the wealthy preferred to consume it from “large spouted cups” that were frequently buried with the aristocracy. The Maya glyph for cocoa was found on vessels from an early Classic period (460–480 AD) Mayan tomb at the Rio Azul site in Guatemala.
Xocltl was considered to be an acquired taste because sugar had not yet reached the Americas. A cool beverage with a foundation of chocolate and flavors of vanilla and other spices was described as what the Spaniards at the time termed xocltl. In contrast to sweetened current hot chocolate, the beverage had a fiery, bitter flavor. There is disagreement among sources as to who and when xocltl was first served hot. But José de Acosta, a Spanish Jesuit missionary who later in the 16th century stayed in Mexico and subsequently Peru, defined xocltl as:
It is repulsive to those who are unfamiliar with it and has a very unpleasant-tasting scum or froth. However, it is a beverage that Indians hold in high regard and use to feast on visiting noblemen. Men and women from Spain who are used to the country are highly fond of this chocolate. They claim to create it in a variety of ways—some hot, some cold, and some moderate—and to add a lot of that “chili”; in fact, they purport to produce a paste out of it that is beneficial for the stomach and preventative for catarrh.
Numerous beverages were produced in Mesoamerica using cocoa beans and flavoring flowers like vanilla. This was done in honor of the Aztecs. The Aztecs, also known as the Mexica, demanded chocolate from everyone they had conquered. The Essential Codex Mendoza contains a list of the items they collected, including cups, gourds, cacao beans, and other items. Cacao started to be used as money all over Mesoamerica. The Aztecs used chocolate to signify high status; to consume chocolate was a bad omen for someone of low or common status. The first documented encounter between chocolate and Europeans occurred in 1502 during Columbus’ fourth expedition.
Materials
1 cup whole milk
Brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons, or to taste
2 ounces of dark chocolate, to taste, preferably one like Moser Roth® 85% Dark Chocolate
heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon, or more if desired
1 pinch of ground cinnamon, or as desired more
Directions
In a saucepan, heat milk for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it just begins to boil. Add the brown sugar and whisk for approximately a minute, or until it dissolves. Milk and dark chocolate should be mixed until melted, about 2-3 minutes. After taking the pan off the heat, combine the milk mixture with the cream and cinnamon.
Use more heavy cream to make the cocoa creamier. I also enjoy pouring chocolate over whipped cream at the bottom of the mug.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
493
Calories
28g
Fat
57g
Carbs
11g
Protein