Pop Quiz - Name that Drink
January 11th, 2008Quick, look at the ingredients listed below and name that beverage.
Mystery Beverage
- Sugar, corn syrup solids, hydrogenated vegetable oil (may contain coconut, palm kernel, and/or soybean oil) modified milk ingredients, cocoa, cellulose gum, salt, dipotassium phosphate, silicon dioxide, artificial flavour, mono-and diglycerides, guar gum, sodium aluminum silicate
It’s a very popular winter drink, most people add hot water or milk to it. It originated in Mexico, but Spanish explorers brought it to Europe, where they kept this delicacy a secret for the next 100 years. It was the Europeans who added sugar to counteract the natural bitterness. They also removed the chilli pepper, replacing it with vanilla, cinnamon and other spices.
It was Hans Sloane, who in the 17th century added milk to the mixture and thereby introducing milk chocolate to Europe. Due to the expense, it was considered a drink for the elite. (Source Wickepedia.org)
Give up? It’s hot chocolate, or at least Nestle Carnation’s powder form of hot chocolate . Somehow I don’t think this is what the Europeans were drinking. When we were kids, my mom used to make homemade chocolate syrup using Fry’s Cocoa. Now I am not comparing the two, but if you are looking to make a real cup of cocoa from scratch, you may want to whip up a batch of the homemade stuff and keep it on hand in the fridge. It also tastes great drizzled over vanilla ice cream.
Fry’s Cocoa Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients (makes 10 servings)
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup Fry’s Cocoa
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
Combine sugar and cocoa in a small sauce pan. Stir in water. Cook on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool then store in the refrigerator. It will last up to one month. For hot chocolate, pour a couple of table spoons into warm milk and top with whip cream or marshmallows. For adults, add Bailey’s or Kahlua.
Cheers,
Julie
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January 11th, 2008 at 11:49 am
PLEASE cancel my e-mail from you
January 11th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Look at that third ingredient…. HYDROGENATED vegetable oil. It’s screaming TRANS FATS!! Oy.
I avoid buying anything that says hydrogenated on it. I was looking at Orville Redenbakker’s popcorn at Costco the other day. FIVE GRAMS OF TRANS FATS!! What are they thinking?
The homemade recipe for cocoa sounds so simple, natural and yummy!! Back to basics.
January 11th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Hi Nelly,
No problem. I will cancel it ASAP.
Cheers,
Julie
PS - Debb, I was a little surprised when I saw the label as well. I loved my mom’s recipe.
January 11th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Julie! hi!
I am old school in that I make hot cocoa with powder at home, difference being that I use honey and soya milk! I’ve even gotten into Ovaltine!
Love to taste how the Mexicans did it with chili peppers! By the way, my test of a decent Mexican restauarant (a fallible test I might add) is if they have the delicious milky rice drink Horchata!
January 12th, 2008 at 1:43 am
Yummy! That picture of the hot chocolate has made me make one for a yummy afternoon treat!
January 12th, 2008 at 1:49 am
I too make hot chocolate from scratch at home. Just cocoa, sugar, cream, milk and sometimes a bit of cinnamon. We are also big Ovaltine fans; Bridget it has it in her milk twice a day for the iron among other nutrients. I only by the ‘original’ flavor, and until she was corrupted by Starbucks, she thought it was chocolate milk! Funnily, in Hawaii, you can only buy the chocolate variety.
January 12th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
I’m a hot chocolate addict but hate all those additives. Now, Ovaltine! There’s a blast from the past. That was part of my childhood and I loved it.