Food feature: the art of good hot chocolate
By: Alexa Williamson
Before chocolate was available as a bar, truffle, cake or pastry, it was first created in Mexico as a hot, sugar free drink – ie hot chocolate. Originally ground from the cocoa pod and frothed into a fantastic, dark ambrosia, it was then seasoned with spices such as chili pepper, cinnamon or vanilla. And, still done today, one can even order street it from Mexican street stalls where it’s made by shaving off cocoa from a tablet that’s been mixed with almond and vanilla.
For those who have tried hot chocolate (or even a bar) with chili in it, they’ll know how wonderful the combination of the chili’s hot, spicy zing, coupled with dark chocolate can be. In fact, hot chocolate shouldn’t be mixed with milk because the cocoa has enough of its own fat to make it a rich flavour.
Where to find high-quality, hot chocolate & unique blends in London
And, now in London, chocolate connoisseurs who are looking for a good, dark hot chocolate fix can find such at several places:
- Taquiera in Notting Hill offers cocoa in the Mexican tradition – shaved from a cocoa tablet containing vanilla and almond.
Venue details: 139-143 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RS – map,
Tel 0207 229 4734
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 12:00pm-11:00pm, Fri 12:00p-11:30, Sat 10:00am-11:30pm and Sun 12:00pm-10:30pm
- Paul A Young – a specialist chocolatier who serves hot chocolate with varying cacao contents (70, 68, 66 and 64) depending on the weather. Eg, for hot days they use 64% while in freezing weather they use 70%. They also do some really cool chocolate bars with exotic flavours such as cedarwood, sandalwood, lavender and lemon, and many more. (Can’t help naming a lot of them as I’ve never seen the combos done by anyone else).
Venue details: Islington shop – 33 Camden Passage, London, N1 8EA – map
Tel: 020 7424 5750
Opening hours: Wed-Thurs, Sat 11am-6pm, Fri 11am-7pm, Sun 12pm-5pm
Bank shop – 20 Royal Exchange, Threadneedle Street, London, EC3V 3LP - map
Tel: 020 7929 7007
Opening hours: Mon-Wed, Fri 11am-6.30pm, Thurs 11am-7pm
- Melt - at this chocolate shop, located in Notting Hill, you can get short shots of 100% dark chocolate, or you can have it served with Madagascan vanilla pod, which is infused with double cream.
Venue details: 59 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, London, W11 2AA – map
Tel: 020 7727 5030
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 11am-4pm
- William Curley – offers various types of hot chocolate, made from Venezualan cocoa with 70% solids in it, which can be spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and honey and a cocoa with 72% solids, which is offered ‘Aztec’ style with 72% cocoa solids.
Venue details:
Mayfair shop – 32-34 Sheperd Market, Mayfair, W1J 7QN – map
Tel: 020 7495 0302
John Lewis Foodhall Shop, Oxford Street, W1A 1EX – map
T: 020 7514 5321
Further information:
Taquiera (official site)
Paul A Young (official site)
Melt (official site)
William Curley (official site)
Feature: what’s in raw chocolate? (The London Reviewer)
