# What's the best hot chocolate you've ever had? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 15, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482 "2007-11-15T03:37:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![some\_white\_dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@some\_white\_dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/some_white_dude)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/1 "2007-11-15T03:37:04Z")
My girlfriend got me this tin of chocolate last year from Williams-Sonoma. It wasn’t powder, but chocolate shavings, which combine with hot milk much easier. No powdery globs floating on top, it all just melts right in. Tonight, I added a bit of peppermint extract to this cocoa, and the result was the best cup of homemade hot chocolate I’ve ever had. However, I still think I can do better. So what’s the best cup of hot cocoa you’ve ever drank? Related side question: I had an incredible cup of chocolate while visiting said girlfriend in Barcelona a couple years ago. It was very rich and very thick, almost like a hot pudding. I believe it was just called “chocolate” over there, but I’m not sure. Does anybody know what this concoction is, and where I might find it? Is it a European staple, or perhaps specific to Spain, or even Barcelona? Do I have even a remote chance of reproducing this delicious stuff? I’d love to enjoy some this winter. ---
**Author:** ![bundykala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bundykala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bundykala)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/2 "2007-11-15T03:43:11Z")
My brother makes chocolate shots whenever there’s a crowd over. It’s pretty much just melted chocolate, cream and kahlua. I don’t know what else he throws in, but it’s gooood. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/3 "2007-11-15T03:44:36Z")
[Burdick’s Chocolate.](http://www.burdickchocolate.com/stores-and-cafes-cambridge.asp) Heaven in a cup. So dark and rich it’s like drinking the molten part of molten chocolate cake. But better. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/4 "2007-11-15T03:45:01Z")
[this](http://www.scharffenberger.com/re0401.asp) I add nothing except sometimes a little whipped cream. I also like Mexican hot chocolate with the little spinner. ---
**Author:** ![stucco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@stucco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stucco)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/5 "2007-11-15T04:00:02Z")
Drinking chocolate in Valencia, Spain. Exactly what the OP was talking about. I have no idea how to replicate it but it was sooo good. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/6 "2007-11-15T04:10:46Z")
Here’s the Mexican stuff I’m familiar with. Does the chocolate in Spain have cinnamon? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/7 "2007-11-15T04:23:44Z")
[QUOTE=Team of Scientists] My girlfriend got me this tin of chocolate last year from Williams-Sonoma. It wasn’t powder, but chocolate shavings, which combine with hot milk much easier. No powdery globs floating on top, it all just melts right in. [/QUOTE] You need to learn the trick…Put the powder in the cup, add enough water to cover it and mix it really really well while the rest of the water is in the microwave heating. It’s ALOT easier to get the clumps out when you only working with a little bit of water. Add the hot water, mix and you’re golden. As for my favorite. I like land’o lakes. But I found that one wasn’t enough. So for the amount of water that is listed on the back, I use three packages. Usually two milk chocolate and one mint. Last year we had a big display of them at our store, as they started to run out I grabbed about 30 packages which are still sitting in my desk since I don’t think we’ll get them in again this year. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/8 "2007-11-15T04:31:31Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] Here’s the Mexican stuff I’m familiar with. Does the chocolate in Spain have cinnamon? [/QUOTE] I left [something](http://www.mexgrocer.com/2544.html) out, didn’t I? :smack: Sorry, it’s getting late. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/9 "2007-11-15T04:35:50Z")
[QUOTE=Joey P] You need to learn the trick…Put the powder in the cup, add enough water to cover it and mix it really really well while the rest of the water is in the microwave heating. It’s ALOT easier to get the clumps out when you only working with a little bit of water. Add the hot water, mix and you’re golden. As for my favorite. I like land’o lakes. But I found that one wasn’t enough. So for the amount of water that is listed on the back, I use three packages. Usually two milk chocolate and one mint. Last year we had a big display of them at our store, as they started to run out I grabbed about 30 packages which are still sitting in my desk since I don’t think we’ll get them in again this year. [/QUOTE] A guy in Wisconsin, eschewing milk. I guess California _did_ take away all the good dairy stuff. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/10 "2007-11-15T05:49:37Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] I left [something](http://www.mexgrocer.com/2544.html) out, didn’t I? :smack: Sorry, it’s getting late. [/QUOTE] I love that stuff. I don’t have the wooden spinner thing though. I just use a small whisk. Another favorite is Hershey’s Cacao Mix. It’s a combination of powder and chocolate bits. You’re supposed to keep it well stirred, but I like to let the melted chocolate settle to the bottom and eat it with a spoon. It’s like having hot chocolate, then dessert. The spiced variety is very similar to the Mexican chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![some\_white\_dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@some\_white\_dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/some_white_dude)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/11 "2007-11-15T06:23:27Z")
_drool_ I must get my hands on this Mexican hot chocolate. So with that Scharffen Berger recipe, you just melt a few ounces of baking chocolate into some milk? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/12 "2007-11-15T06:24:39Z")
City Bakery, 17th off Union Square, NYC, about 1995. You coulda stood a spoon up in that stuff. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/13 "2007-11-15T13:35:21Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] A guy in Wisconsin, eschewing milk. I guess California _did_ take away all the good dairy stuff. 😃 [/QUOTE] Nah, I just usually make it at work where I only have access to water. I’m quite sure my method works just as well with milk. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/14 "2007-11-15T13:43:23Z")
[QUOTE=Team of Scientists] _drool_ I must get my hands on this Mexican hot chocolate. So with that Scharffen Berger recipe, you just melt a few ounces of baking chocolate into some milk? [/QUOTE] _Gourmet_ baking chocolate. 😉 That brand really is good stuff. Most people just eat it. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/15 "2007-11-15T14:04:58Z")
I think the best I had was when I was once craving hot chocolate and I didn’t have any mix but I did have cocoa powder. I used hot milk, cocoa powder, sugar and probably a little Irish Cream. Yum. Oh, and whipped cream on top instead of marshmallows. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/16 "2007-11-15T15:07:07Z")
I was given a can of [MarieBelle’s Aztec original hot chocolate](http://www.mariebelle.com/product.cfm?id=36) last year and it was unbelievable. The first time I made any, I used too much of the mix and I actually felt a little trippy from the high level of cacao in it. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/17 "2007-11-15T16:46:24Z")
Anyone know how to make hot chocolate in the style of the movie _Cholát_? I believe it involved using melted chocolate and some sort of pepper. I’ve always wanted to try that. If I recall correctly, some South American countries also add some sort of hot spicy ingredient to their hotc hocolate as well… ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/18 "2007-11-15T17:02:37Z")
Like adding black pepper to chocolate chip cookies before baking - YUM ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/19 "2007-11-15T17:20:36Z")
[QUOTE=Orual] [Burdick’s Chocolate.](http://www.burdickchocolate.com/stores-and-cafes-cambridge.asp) Heaven in a cup. So dark and rich it’s like drinking the molten part of molten chocolate cake. But better. [/QUOTE] End of discussion. Move along people, nothing else to see here. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![rhythmonly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@rhythmonly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhythmonly)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482/20 "2007-11-15T17:53:48Z")
For those of us not in the Cambridge area, I respectfully disagree. In a medium sauce pan combine the following ingredients: 4 coffee cups (or mugs) of low fat milk. 5 packets of instant hot chocolate. 6 oz. of chocolate syrup. 1 tablespoon of instant coffee. Heat to a simmer, stirring constantly. Not too shabby for home made. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-hot-chocolate-youve-ever-had/426482.md?page=2)