It’s an accessible luxury enjoyed around the world, all thanks to that precious bean, cacao. But look at the back of most widely available chocolate bars and you’ll find the primary ingredient is not at all cacao…rather, so much of what we call chocolate are really bars of sugar, flavoured with poor-quality cacao. Sweet and delicious though they may be, these bars are a far cry from how chocolate has been enjoyed for most of its glorious lifetime.
Chocolate originates in Mesoamerica, where it was considered a gift from the gods by the Mayans and Aztecs. Over thousands of years, it played a hugely important cultural, political, spiritual, and economic role in these civilisations. Cacao beans were roasted, ground, and then mixed with water, chili peppers and spices to make a bitter, frothy chocolate drink. This sacred beverage, chocolātl, was prized for its mystical qualities, bestowing energy and vitality. People have been consuming chocolate like this for at least 5300 years as a nourishing drink with a bite. It wasn’t until the 1500s, when the Spanish took chocolate from the Americas to Europe, that cane sugar and milk were introduced to cacao, resulting in “chocolate” as it is commonly known today.
For today’s palates, so accustomed to sugary sweet industrial chocolate bars, the idea of chocolate as a bitter and spiced drink might seem odd. But there is good reason why this beverage meant so much for so long, and thankfully you’re free to taste and find out yourself. All you need is a block of high-quality 100% pure cacao and some spices of choice to feel the vitality of this original “food of the gods”. 100% pure cacao is becoming increasingly available, I get mine in Ireland from Nibbed. Using high-quality spices will really elevate the final drink, so using the very best ground ginger and hot chili from Daillies Organic Farm in Kenya is an excellent addition. You can make your hot cacao however you like, but here’s a just a couple of ideas:
For a slightly sweeter cacao
- 20g pure cacao
- 1 cup of oat milk
- 1/2 tsp Daillies Organic Farm ground cinnamon
- 1-2 tsp of honey or maple syrup
For a darker, spicy cacao
- 20g pure cacao
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of oat milk
- Pinch of Daillies Organic Farm hot chili
Method for saucepan
- Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat, but not to a boil.
- Vigorously whisk, or use a stick blender, until frothy.
- Pour and enjoy.
Method for blender
- Heat your liquid until it's hot but not boiling.
- Place all the ingredients in the blender.
- Whizz for 5 seconds.
- Pour and enjoy.
