Haute hot chocolate: drinking chocolates

[Gifted Gourmet]

from Money CNN

L.A. Burdick's, which makes hot chocolate in dark, milk or white varieties. "It's unlike anything I've ever had in my entire life. It takes me to a different place altogether," she said. Haute hot chocolate is just one segment of a luxury chocolate market that has boomed as tastes have become more discerning and consumers have become more educated about high-quality chocolate. Turback recommends the chocolate from Holy Chocolate, which is made by an orthodox priest in California and comes in flavors ranging from Anise Spice to Amaretto.

UPI article

Jacques Torres makes Wicked Hot Chocolate infused with allspice, cinnamon and a variety of ground chili peppers...

exotic Bianca hot chocolate made of white chocolate shavings, Australian lemon myrtle and lavender flowers...  drinking chocolates, are made by mixing premium chocolate shavings or high-fat cocoas with steaming milk or water ...

Seems that Starbucks did so well with Chantico that others have followed suit ...

Do you like a hot chocolate beverage? More than either coffee or tea?

Have you tasted or made anything which combines heat and chocolate as a beverage?

[Carolyn Tillie]

A Sunday evening stroll up Fillmore introduced me to Bittersweet, A Chocolate Cafe. I was full from dinner and not ready for a sweet but the place was hopping and I am so looking forward to going back to indulge...

[Gifted Gourmet]

Carolyn, their selection of hot chocolate drinks is wonderful ... Thanks for the link! I would order their Spicy! Hot and spicy, a kick of pepper and a hint of cinnamon and rose.

[divina]

I live in Italy, where thick hot chocolate is sacred!

The trend for quite awhile here has been to add chili pepper to chocolate , solid and to drink. ( Modica , in Sicily,of course still uses the cinnamon in their bars as did the Spanish)

There is a fabulous bar brand Lindt that is doing some fabulous flavors, I had a lovely lemon rosemary.

[kalypso]

The absolute best hot chocolate I've ever had was at Cafe Azul y Oro on the campus of UNAM in Mexico City. In spite of being a water based version of hot chocolate it was thick, rich, impossibly creamy, utterly delicious and satisfying right down to the toes.

Chef/owner Ricardo Munoz Zurita (who Time magazine named as one of the 25 most influencial people in Mexico in 2003) has his chocolate blended to his specifications by a company in Oaxaca. I suspect it may be Mayordomo, but don't quote me on that. There is no comparison to what Ricardo serves as Mexican hot choclate and what you get from using Abuelita or Ibarra. Ricardo's proprietary blend has a wonderful balance of chocolate, sugar, canela and nuts. It is not overly sweet or overly laden with excessive spice. I suspect technique may have also played a part in creating an end product that so beautifully showcases Mexican chocolate.

I posted this version of Mexican hot chocolate that I make a few weeks ago in another thread. I use the semi-sweet Mayordomo chocolate which is available through Chocosphere if you can't get to Oaxaca . Add some cloves, chile flakes and a few drops of orange oil (or orange rind) to the milk (or water) while it is heating and steep for about 5-10 minutes. Add the Mayordomo chocolate and dissolve. Remove the cloves and tranfer to a blender. Whip on high speed until frothy. About 10 years ago or so Strabucks had a hot chocolate drink they called the Valencia, which was similar to this except without the chile flakes.

Chuao Chocolatiers based in Encinitas, CA also makes a dynamite hot chocolate.

[melkor]

Seems that Starbucks did so well with Chantico that others have followed suit ...

←

Starbucks is discontinuing their Chantico.

[moosnsqrl]

These are the best I have found in this area, and are available online:

Chris Elbow's hot chocolate

If you mouse-over the bag icon on the left, you'll see the two selections they offer.

[dvs]

Cafe Society in Napa serves ANGELINA’S CHOCOLAT CHAUD - Not in the same category as ordinary hot chocolate, people stand in line for hours to savour this “chocolat Africain” at Angelina’s in Paris. If you can imagine drinking a melted chocolate bar, you will have a good idea of what this experience will bring you. Café Society imports this delicious treat from Angelina’s exclusively in the Bay Area. (<----- from a blurb i wrote for them)

its delicious!

[johnder]

I am lucky enough to work about a block away from Jaques Torres' store in DUMBO, so when the urge hits I can walk over an get a cup of his wicked hot chcolate. It really is awesome. If I feeling truly bad, I can then walk across to his pastry shop Almondine and get a nice tart to go along with it.

[jturn00]

I didn't realize that Almondine was his pastry shop. Is that the one across the street?

[divina]

I am very lucky to be a friend of Ricardo Munoz Zurita, and when I was last in Mexico city stopped by the cafe.. hard to find.. but totally worth it!

We had a whole meal there, and Ricardo served me both the water based chocolate and milk based. Both remained boiling hot for hte whole meal.

Besides having his own blend for chocolate, he also goes to a special village to have teh cups made!

he complained he had come to Italy and gone ti Illy cafe to see their cups and was so disappointed that they made the coffee cold! Different Cultures..

Italians drink their coffee quickly and do not like niether too hot nor too cold in any of their beverages.

But what really knocked my socks off was his chocolate Tamale!

AHHH to have one right now.. run.. do not walk the next time you are in Mexico City!

[kalypso]

I am very lucky to be a friend of Ricardo Munoz Zurita, and when I was last in Mexico city stopped by the cafe.. hard to find.. but totally worth it!

We had a whole meal there, and Ricardo served me both the water based chocolate and milk based. Both remained boiling hot for hte whole meal.

Besides having his own blend for chocolate, he also goes to a special village to have teh cups made!

he complained he had come to Italy and gone ti Illy cafe to see their cups and was so disappointed that they made the coffee cold! Different Cultures..

Italians drink their coffee quickly and do not like niether too hot nor too cold in any of their beverages.

But what really knocked my socks off was his chocolate Tamale!

AHHH to have one right now.. run.. do not walk the next time you are in Mexico City!

←

Yep, Ricardo is dedicated to promoting Mexican food as a patrimony. I didn't know about the cups he serves his chocolate in, but I have had his chocolate tamale. In fact, I made chocolate tamales with him last year for a fund raiser . I've had the opportunity to study/cook with him off and on for the last couple of years. Amazing resource. Rick Bayless and Diana Kennedy get all the press, but Ricardo is probably Mexico's best not-so-well-kept cooking secret and Cafe Azul y Oro is one of the real hidden gems of Mexico City dining.

I'll be in Florence for a week in May and after reading your previous post, I made a mental note to be sure to try the hot chocolate while I'm there.

[Jennifer Iannolo]

Cafe Society in Napa serves ANGELINA’S CHOCOLAT CHAUD - Not in the same category as ordinary hot chocolate, people stand in line for hours to savour this “chocolat Africain” at Angelina’s in Paris. If you can imagine drinking a melted chocolate bar, you will have a good idea of what this experience will bring you. Café Society imports this delicious treat from Angelina’s exclusively in the Bay Area. (<----- from a blurb i wrote for them)

its delicious!

←

I actually didn't enjoy Angelina's very much, but it was about ten years ago when I tried said "orgasmic" hot chocolate (as I was led to believe by a very overzealous person), so things may have changed since then. I usually make a yummy concoction using Valrhona...nothing like hot chocolate on a cold night.