Chocolate originally referred to
drinking chocolate made from the cocoa bean and chocolate drinks has
been the main way in which chocolate has been consumed for nearly
all of it's history.
Archaeological records suggest
that the Maya were drinking chocolate around 400 AD. There is even
evidence that the white pulp was fermented and used for an alcoholic
drink.
During the late 15th Century, when
the Americas were discovered, the chocolate drink of choice was a
spicy Xocoatl; a cocoa drink flavored with vanilla, chilly pepper
and annatto.
In the 16th Century Europeans
started drinking chocolate modifying the recipe to suit their taste.
The chilli pepper and vanilla was replaced with cinnamon and sugar
was added to overcome the bitterness.
In the late 17th century milk was
added to the drink and thus was the birth of the hot chocolate we
know and love today.
The term Hot Chocolate was coined
after the chocolate bar became popularly known as chocolate.
Hot
Chocolate vs Hot Cocoa
Although these terms are used
interchangeably, there are two distinctions between hot cocoa and
hot chocolate.
Hot Cocoa: Cocoa is the
dried and partially fermented fatty seed of the cacao tree from
which chocolate is made. Hot Cocoa consists of powdered cocoa, milk
or water, and sugar.
Hot Chocolate: Takes two
forms and consists of chocolate (cocoa and cocoa butter) milk and
sugar. It can be either a thin drink made from drinking chocolate
powder or a thick rich drink made from heavy chocolate using dark,
semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate.
Chocolate
Drink Recipes
Chocolate Drink recipes vary from
sweet hot chocolate variations to ice cold chocolate milkshakes and
liqueurs.
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Hot
Chocolate vs Hot Cocoa
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