What is the difference between cocoa and hot chocolate

Hot cocoa is both a beverage and a drink mix, which dates back to the 19th century. Before then, hot chocolate was the beverage of the nobility, made from roughly-ground cacao beans and sugar. This left behind cakes of low-fat cacao, which could be pulverized into a chocolaty powder. Soon cocoa butter found a market with cosmetics companies, rendering the cocoa powder less valuable but in high supply. Cacao processors blended the cocoa powder with sugar and sold it as a medicinal drink.

But consumers found that while sugar still dissolved well in liquids, the new powdered chocolate largely sank. Soon those same Dutch chemists invented a process for alkalizing cocoa powder, making it easier to dissolve in water. Cheap hot cocoa also often includes powdered milk and artificial flavors, to standardize the flavor and lower manufacturing costs.

In response, some bean to bar chocolate makers have begun making their own hot cocoa mixes with the high-fat cocoa left over from pressing single origin cocoa butter.

These craft hot cocoa mixes are usually sold with just cocoa powder and a small amount of sugar, so consumers with dietary restrictions can also enjoy hot cocoa. More often than not, drinking chocolate is a cup of pure chocolate, thinned out with hot milk or water, while hot cocoa mix is added in order to flavor the liquid. In that sense, hot cocoa is older than modern drinking chocolate, but the latter is a more indulgent and healthy beverage.

Drinking chocolate is made in both dark and milk chocolate varieties, making it easier to buy a healthy option. Drinking Chocolate is a richer drink than hot cocoa, but is more satisfying, fulfilling and is also better for you!

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That incarnation of wintery liquid comfort is sometimes called drinking chocolate. Read on to learn why that name might be more apt and less confusing. Hot chocolate, or drinking chocolate if you prefer, is exactly what it sounds like. This is a warm cup of chocolate that has been melted into a hot liquid.

Different kinds of chocolate, such as milk, dark, or white , can be used in preparing the drink. Our Best Stories Delivered Daily.

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