Even though we've just passed Setsubun and it's officially spring, the weather has turned cold again. I like drinking a cup of hot cocoa on cold days because it warms me up and makes me feel cozy. I'm pleased to share my recipe with you.
Ingredients ( for one cup)
2 heaping teaspoons of cocoa powder
2 heaping teaspoons of sugar
140 cc of milk and plus somewhat extra for mixing the cocoa powder and the sugar
Instractions
Step1
Place 2 heaping teaspoons of cocoa powder and two heaping teaspoons of sugar in a small pan.
Put the pan on low heat.
Add the extra milk you've prepared and mix everything together until it turns a smooth paste.
Step2
Gradually add the 140cc of milk into the paste and stir it continuously.
Heat it until warm, but be sure to turn off the heat before it reaches a boil.
We can always buy instant hot coco, but I definitely prefer making it this way. It tastes much better.
I hope you enjoy a cup of homemade hot coco too!
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Yumi @yumiyumayume : In Spain there is a long tradition of having chocolate with ‘churros’, especially on the birthdays of family members. My mother used to make chocolate or cocoa with milk/water for each of our birthdays.
I don't know if you know but also in 16th and 17th century Spain there were debates about whether chocolate was sinful or not, especially in the religious sphere.
Thanks for the recipe, Yumi! By the way, what kind of sugar do you have in Japan? We have sugar from sugar canes in Egypt.
@druida Thank you, as always, for sharing your culture. It's always fascinating to learn about different traditions. I love churros, but I always thought they were Mexican! I didn't know they originally came from Spain.
I also didn’t know about the connection between chocolate and religion, but I can understand why it was considered a sin.
@Double-Zee Thank you for asking about sugar. In Japan we have two different types of sugar. One is from sugar canes and the other is from sugar beets. I use both.
Yumiiiii, what have you done! Now I'm craving a cup of cocoa 😭😭😭.
@druida Imagine being hanged for eating chocolate.
@Simone- Haha, sorry for this, Simo. I hope you get a good one!
@Simone- and @yumiyumayume - In the 16th century and in Spain, among the court and nobility, chocolate was a luxurious drink, considered an aphrodisiac and stimulant. Some moralists and confessors were wary of its excessive consumption, especially among women, as it could be considered a sensual pleasure and lead to temptation.
As always, sin has been associated with women in Judeo-Christian culture.
Also, some bishops prohibited the consumption of chocolate inside convents or churches because it went against the conventual rules of fasting and abstinence.
Now, on the contrary, chocolate is a stimulating and appropriate drink in cold weather.
@druida Thank you for sharing the history of chocolate! I've learned a bit about its history through porcelain. I sometimes come across antique chocolate pots and cup-and-saucer sets—they're incredibly elegant, and I love them! I’d love to paint something like that someday.
@druida Interesting!