The Ultimate Frozen Hot Chocolate Recipe (VIDEO) - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

Was the original hot chocolate spicy? ›

What the Spaniards then called xocōlātl was said to be a drink consisting of a chocolate base flavored with vanilla and other spices that was served cold. The drink tasted spicy and bitter as opposed to sweetened modern hot chocolate.

The roots of hot chocolate can be traced back to the ancient Mayan civilisation in the regions of present-day Mexico and Central America. Around 500 BC, the Mayans began cultivating cacao trees and discovered the pleasure of a drink made from its beans.

How can something be hot and frozen at the same time? Well, this drink's name is definitely an oxymoron. However, It makes sense when you break down the contents of the drink. You will blend ice with the hot cocoa mix, and that's where we got the name.

Frozen hot chocolate tastes exactly like… hot chocolate! But with an icy, slushy consistency. The ice thickens the drink and you can make it thinner or thicker by adjusting the amount of ice.

It Started in Mexico

As early as 500 BC, the Mayans were drinking chocolate made from ground-up cocoa seeds mixed with water, cornmeal, and chili peppers (as well as other ingredients)—a much different version from the hot chocolate we know today.

Marshmallows first came into the picture in 1917, when the company Angelus Marshmallows published a recipe for hot cocoa topped with their product. (In another genius marketing move, the company also hitched its wagon to sweet potatoes with a recipe for the side dish that has since become a Thanksgiving staple.)

Mexican chocolate has been around for centuries. Mexican cultures once used chocolate as currency. The Aztecs believed that chocolate was a gift from the gods and would only drink it on special occasions.

Hot Chocolate frontman Errol Brown has died, aged 71. His manager, Phil Dale, said the singer had been suffering from liver cancer. He died at home in the Bahamas.

The first chocolate drink is thought to have been created around 2,000 years ago by the Mayans, and there is clear evidence of some form of cocoa beverage in Aztec culture by 1400 AD.

Taste the delicious chocolatey flavor of McCafé® Hot Chocolate. McDonald's Hot Chocolate recipe features steamed whole milk with rich hot chocolate syrup and is finished with whipped light cream and chocolate drizzle.

Why is hot chocolate so addicting? ›

Psychoactive constituents of chocolate that trigger a 'feel-good' reaction for the consumer include tryptophan and phenylethylamine, which may contribute to cravings and addiction-like responses, particularly in people with specific genetic alleles.

Image of two cups of hot cocoa topped with whipped cream, with a pair of spoons and a ceramic chocolate pot. Hershey's cookbooklet, 1937. In the United States, the terms "hot chocolate" and "hot cocoa" are used pretty interchangeably, but they aren't quite the same thing!

Pour milk into blender. Add hot cocoa mix and ice. Blend first at low speed and then high speed until ice is finely crushed and slushy. Pour into tall glass and top with whipped cream and a dusting of hot cocoa mix, if desired.

Freezing chocolate will change its flavor profile because volatile oils that transmit many of the taste sensations will be less active.

Frozen hot chocolate is a creamy blended drink that, as its name suggests, tastes like hot chocolate but is ice cold. It's similar to a chocolate milkshake, but given that there's no ice cream, it's not as thick.

Chocolate and spice were married long before Lindt began producing its iconic chili-flavored chocolate bars. In fact, spices were found in chocolate when the Spaniards invaded the Aztec Empire, meaning that they have been integrated in chocolate for over 500 years.

The name of this concoction was a combination of both Mayan and Aztec cultures. "The Mayan word 'Xocol', that means 'hot', and the Aztec word 'atl' means 'water'," Spehr said. "So 'xocolatl', that's where 'chocolate' comes from. Originally, this means 'hot water'."

Mexican hot chocolate includes various spices, including cinnamon, cloves, and ancho chili pepper. These ingredients give it a unique flavor that is sweet and slightly spicy. The chocolate used in Mexican hot chocolate is typically dark chocolate, which has a higher cocoa content than milk chocolate or white chocolate.

The Aztecs took chocolate admiration to another level. They believed cacao was given to them by their gods. Like the Maya, they enjoyed the caffeinated kick of hot or cold, spiced chocolate beverages in ornate containers, but they also used cacao beans as currency to buy food and other goods.