Beverages

Sinfully good – MarieBelle’s hot chocolate

I wouldn’t call myself a hot chocolate expert, per se, but I would definitely say I am a hot chocolate afficionado…

Mere sematics.

I know what I like when I try it, but I cannot say I’ve sampled all the best the world has to offer.

But I have certainly given it my best shot!

At Angelina, on the rue de Rivoli in Paris, they serve their steaming, molasses-thick Chocolat Africain with a tall parfait glass on the side, full of whipped cream with which to dilute your chocolatey drink. It is, by far, the richest, darkest, and sweetest hot chocolate available in the city – so thick, you could pour it over ice cream.

At Café de Flore, at St Germain des Pres (also in Paris), their chocolate chaud is still quite thick and wonderful, but easier to pour and drink. It comes served in a silver pot that remains hot as your dreamily sip your way through two full tea cups of luxurious chocolate. The creamy, light chocolate is made with melted chocolate pieces, whole milk, and a touch of caramel. This one is definitely my all-time favourite.

You can sip Mexican hot chocolate here in LA at Senor Fred, but they thicken it with cornmeal. I do not care for this grainy version of my favourite morning indulgence.

A bit of history: Drinking chocolate originated in the ‘New World’ (now Mexico).

From wikipedia –

Moctezuma introduced Hernán Cortés to his favourite drink, “chocolatl”, which he served in a golden goblet. “The chocolatl was a potation of chocolate flavored with vanilla and spices, and so prepared as to be reduced to a froth of the consistency of honey, which gradually dissolved in the mouth and was taken cold.” Moctezuma consumed his “chocolatl” in goblets before entering his harem, leading to the belief that it was an aphrodisiac.
Cortés returned to Spain in 1528 with galleons loaded with cocoa beans and chocolate drink making equipment. The court of King Charles V soon adopted it, and “chocolate” became a fashionable drink popular with the Spanish upper class.

Later, in 1828, a Dutch chemist and chocolate manufacturer named Coenraad Van Houten invented a way of making chocolate into powder. He reduced the fat from chocolate liqueur and made what was left into a hard cake. The cake could be crushed into a powder, which would dissolve easily into liquid. This was the genesis of powdered hot chocolate, as it is generally known today.

When I was researching my story on the wonderful Big Sugar Bakeshop, I came upon this marvellous product from MarieBelle New York

Outside of Parisian cafés, I proclaim MarieBelle hot chocolate to be the most perfectly divine hot chocolate you can find AND concoct in your own home. Their Aztec Hot Chocolate is made with rich, single-origin Colombian cacao.

Made with milk, it’s creamy, it’s dreamy and super chocolatey. The granules of pure chocolate (see below) melt into the hot milk. Actually, sometimes there is a sludge of almost melted chocolate at the bottom of your cup to scoop up with your spoon. Mmmmmmmm!

I strenuously recommend picking up a can of MarieBelle’s Aztec Hot Chocolate. Just don’t gobble it by the spoonful from the tin or you won’t have any left to serve with your organic croissants (from Le Pain Quotidien) at Sunday brunch!

Hmmnnn, think I need to buy some more.

$22.00 for a 20 oz tin.

Big Sugar Bakeshop
12182 Ventura Boulevard, between Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Laurel Grove Avenue,
Studio City
818-508-5855

Open 10am–6pm Tues – Saturdays, 10am–5pm on Sundays
Closed Mondays

By MaxMillion (see more of her posts). Max Million is the nom de 'net of Pauline Adamek. Born in Sydney, Australia, Pauline has lived in Los Angeles for the past ten years and finds it agrees with her. She has been reviewing films and filing celebrity-based interview articles since 1991, and has filed stories from various international film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance. She is completing a family cookbook and also writes novels for 8-12 year olds.

© 2007 la.foodblogging.