Chocolate as a Drink

Until eating chocolate was developed in the late 1800s, drinking chocolate was the primary form of chocolate consumption. Chocolate drink recipes included chocolate liquor (roasted, ground cacao), sugar, and a variety of spices that produced an enticing aroma and a rich flavor and mouthfeel. Drinking chocolate was prepared by melting chocolate in a liquid such as water, milk, or brandy; it was consumed at or after mealtimes. The chocolate drink had an intense chocolate flavor and aroma and a thick, satiating mouthfeel. When someone drinks hot chocolate today, it is usually hot cocoa, a beverage made with cocoa powder, milk powder, sugar, and water. Although this is a pleasant drink, particularly in the wintertime, hot cocoa does not have the flavor, texture, or mouthfeel of real hot chocolate.