Making Hot Cocoa - Detail - © drweil.com

Cocoa: Both An Art And A Science

We here in Canada’s Capital woke up to a couple of inches / 3-4 cm of snow this morning, our first significant snowfall of the season. And, when I stuck my head out the front door to bring in the newspaper, the nip in the air made me think of… Cocoa!

Hot Cocoa - © inquisitr.comA cup of Cocoa and a roaring fire: The best way to ward off Winter’s Chill!

I remember, when I was about 10, my dad taking me skating on the frozen Credit River, which was then the longest skating rink in the world. It was such a stretch that the town set up warming stations along the way, where you could get Hot Dogs and Cocoa at nominal cost. While many other experiences of my childhood have been lost to memory, I still recall, vividly, sitting on a bale of straw, staring into the blazing bonfire and watching the steam rise from my cup.

An ancient tradition…

Traditional Cocoa – as differentiated from Hot Chocolate – is merely Cocoa Powder dissolved in Hot Water. No sweetener, no Milk, no Marshmallow on top. That’s the way the ancient Mayans took it, and they revered it as their version of Ambrosia: the ‘food of the Gods’.

Now a days, there are many different versions of Cocoa, some sweetened, some made with Milk. But all are descendants of the original Mayan beverage.

Not so simple…

Making really good Cocoa is not as simple as you might think. At least, that’s been my experience. The Water needs to be really hot to achieve the optimum infusion of Cocoa into the drink. I’ve found that bringing the Water to a boil and allowing it to sit a moment before pouring it over the Cocoa Powder provides the best result.

There’s also the question of how much Cocoa to use. Too little, and the drink is weak and watery and bitter. Too much, and it’s harsh and overbearing on the palate. Good Cocoa, made with just the right amount of Cocoa Powder, should be warm, refreshing and just a touch spicy on the tongue. I’ve discovered, through trial and error, that the best dose of Cocoa Powder per 6 oz. / 175 ml mug is – and I stress this is my personal taste – one heaping tablespoon.

There’s also a right way and a wrong way to add the Cocoa to the Water. Actually, the right way is to add the Water to the Cocoa. Just like when you make a Cake or a Starch Slurry to thicken a sauce: add wet to dry. I usually add a little Water at first and stir it into the Cocoa to make a slurry which then dissolves into the rest of the Water easily without lumping.

Variations on a theme…

Some folks insist that Cocoa be made with Hot Milk. Sissies, I say. But each to their own. And the Milk does smooth the concoction making it more palatable for kids. Likewise, sweetening. Sweet Cocoa aficionados swear by plain White Sugar, but I’ve seen ‘recipes’ for fancy and festive Cocoas using Maple Syrup, Honey, Demerara Sugar and even Molasses.

Modern Methods…

As I’ve said before, when musing on Cocoa, some folks use a Drip Coffee rig to ‘brew’ their water-based Cocoa. That gives you a clear, medium brown Beverage, called Cocoa Tea in some parts of the world, but it also filters out some of the delicate flavour components that make real Cocoa what it should be. At least I think so.

There’s also the notion that real Cocoa has to be made in a saucepan, in a batch to serve at least 4, minimum. This is a fallacy promulgated by the Milk enthusiasts. The best Cocoa I’ve ever had was made in the mug one serving at a time. But try it to see what you think.

My final word…

However you like your Cocoa, do make it this Winter. There’s nothing else like it to warm your cockles on a frosty afternoon!

~ Maggie J.