h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Ultimate Hot Chocolate - A958737
Author: Archaris (holding reality at bay) - U217352

I'd appreciate comments on my first attempt at a Guide entry

This sounds delicious!

I would like to try it out, but I am not familiar with Rowntree(hope I got the name right): Is it a dark cocoa powder or is it one with added sugar?

I agree that you should not make low fat versions of hot chocolate with skim milk or other substitutes. The taste is never as good as the real thing.

Cissdur

OH great - just after I start my diet.

Thank you very much!

Now that really is an ultimate hot chocolate recipe! Mmmmmmmmmm.

You might want to think about designating or condemming certain products without telling us the brands, for those of us who don't have these brands anyhoo. I mean, in Russia I's recommend the Red Front coccoa powder, but I suspect you'd have a hard time getting it...

Fair point - I never thought about availability outside the UK. Rowntree's is good quality dark cocoa with no added sugar, I should edit the entry to make that clear; and do likewise with the recommendations. Thanks.

MMmmmmm, this sounds good. I will try it as soon as possible. I've been looking for a good hot chocolate recipe.

I have read, drooled and agreed with absolutely everything you said in your entry. There are one or two things that I would have done differently, but hey its looking good to me.

As I have not created an entry yet myself I am not sure that I have much right to add comment but personally I would have put in reference to hot chocolates place in history and most certainly quoted the addition of vanilla as a variation as it goes back to the very roots of hot chocolate.

If you are thinking about adding something about the history of hot chocolate (or making a cross reference to it) then I hope the below might be a good building block on which to start (it needs some work and some expansion but is a step in the right direction)

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The history of hot chocolate
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Chocolates beginnings were in central and South America amongst the Aztec and the Mayans who used the Cacao bean for a drink. It seems that when Cortes landed in Mexico in 1519 he was welcomed by Montezuma and encountered the royal drink for the first time. Reports say it was frothy, very spiced and of a bitter taste but much admired for its energy giving qualities. Cortes brought back some of these Mexican seeds (after destroying Montezuma and his court) which were planted in Africa on their way home. This lead to the early chocolate drinks being shaped by the Spanish taste of adding sugar and some of vanilla. The first chocolate house in Britain is believed to be in Bishopsgate (London) established in the mid seventeenth century.

For many years chocolate was known only as a drink, and made exactly as it had been in earlier times. Lumps of chocolate were broken, soaked in a little warm water until soft, more water added and the mixture simmered for a couple of hours before being left to go cold. Once this was done the fat that floated to the top was skimmed off and discarded -- the remaining liquid was mixed with milk and warmed. It was recommended that the concoction should be well beaten when warming to promte the thickening process in the drink.
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As I have a soft spot for Mexico I thought it might be nice to refer to a mexican recipe. I have not been able to vouch for the authenticity of the origins of this recipe, as I suspect it has been altered to our more 'refined' tastes but it certainly seems well spiced.

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A recipe for 'Mexican hot chocolate'
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Why do we crave chocolate? I think the answer lies partly in the texture and flavour but also the comfort that it seems to provide and its ability raise out mood. It is a real pleasure, and perhaps a guilty one.

In honour to the Mexican roots of this world dominating love affair with chocolate Here is a recipe for Mexican chocolate. It certainly takes time to prepare and creates a lot of washing up for three generous servings, but for special occasions I think it is worth it.

600 ml of milk
300 ml double cream
50 g of (good) plain chocolate
Two egg yolks
Pinch of salt
Half teaspoon of ground nutmeg
Half teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Pinch of around all spice
5 tbsp of water


1. Put the milk and cream into a bowl over a pan of hot water and bring to the boil
2. Add the spices and salt
3. Simmer for one hour
4. Just before serving, heat the chocolate and water in a small pan over a low heat until the chocolate has melted
5. Take it off the heat and beat in the egg yolks
6. Whisk in the spiced milk (the mixture should thicken)
7. Serve immediately
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In truth I do not believe that your entry needs either of these sections but the option is there should you want to use/abuse any of the above.

Keep it up - we're drooling out here

Hath
x

Mmmmm, I think a trip to the supermarket to pick up some chocolatey ingredients is in order tomorrow.

Mmmm! Yum! Nicely written and sounds really delicious.

Are you thinking of adding any of the suggestions into the entry?

This sounds really good!

Cheers!

Acharis! Well? Are you?

Might be an idea to take your name out of the heading - I don't think it's allowed under the Writing-Guidelines.

If other recipies were added to the entry, then I don't think there'd be a problem. As it is, I don't have a big problem with it since it is Acharis' recipe.

Cheers!

In the end, I think it will be up to either the Sub-Editor or the italics to make the decision about the header.

I'm just interested to know whether the entry is complete or whether it will take into account the suggested additional material.

Great entry, Sounds gorgeous. I once had some store-bought stuff - ! No writing complaints here.

btw Hathofner - The Aztecs used cacoa beans as money. The exceedingly rich occasinally drank it, but this was more a show-off thing.

Hi. Miranda and I tried out the Mexican hot chocolat. It was delicious and very different from ordinary hot chocolate. A colour like caffé latte, thick and creamy foamlike texture. A pleasant taste, mild and yet very characteristic.

Good stuff. I must say I'm a great fan of the French 'Poulain' brand as a base for mine, I try to bring some back every time I'm over there...

This is a good entry and should have no problem being picked!

I only spotted two misprints:

cappucino --> cappuccino
reknowned --> renowned

Number Six

I know the brand to which you refer - and although my memories of it are fading I still remember it with fondness - having been around their factory!

Hath
x

Did you get any free samples?

I went there when I was 13 some 22 years ago, as I recall I did get some free samples, but unfortunately I dont have any left. I do recall buying a tin containing all sorts of bars of chocolate... and to this day I still have the tin - complete with a drawing of the factory on the side.

*Sits back and starts remanissing*

Sudden craving to raid the fridge for a twix

Hath
x