When winter’s cold hits hard, there’s nothing quite like a warm cup of hot chocolate. Sweet, rich, and milky, it’s a favorite of kids and grown-ups alike.
The drink, however, is rooted in ancient Mayan traditions. With its light-hearted sweetness, modern-day hot chocolate bears little resemblance to the original version, which was a dark, bitter brew infused with fragrant spices.
Chocolate is made from the pod of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), which is indigenous to Central America but is now cultivated in warm climates worldwide. When opened, the hard-shelled pod reveals large, dark seeds covered by a fragrant, milky white film. These seeds ferment quickly, especially in the tropical heat. After fermenting, they’re roasted. With roasting, the seeds turn brittle, and that milky white coating browns and becomes papery. Winnowing, or sifting, to remove that papery skin reveals the seed or cacao nib….