Hot chocolate

Hot chocolate (also known as hot cocoa) is a heated beverage typically consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and sugar. Drinking chocolate is similar to hot chocolate, but is made from melted chocolate shavings or paste, rather than a powdered mix that is soluble in water. Also, drinking chocolate usually is not as sweet as hot chocolate.

The first chocolate beverage is believed to have been created by the Mayas around 2,000 years ago, and a cocoa beverage was an essential part of Aztec culture by 1400 AD. The beverage became popular in Europe after being introduced from Mexico in the New World, and has undergone multiple changes since then. Until the 19th century, hot chocolate was even used medicinally to treat ailments such as stomach diseases. Today, hot chocolate is consumed throughout the world and comes in multiple variations including the very thick cioccolata densa served in Italy, and the thinner hot cocoa that is typically consumed in the United States.

Yoo-hoo

Yoo-hoo is an American chocolate beverage. The stated ingredients on the label include water, high-fructose corn syrup, whey, sugar,corn syrup solids, cocoa, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, sodium caseinate (from milk), non-fat dry milk, salt, tricalcium phosphate,dipotassium phosphate, xanthan gum, guar gum, natural and artificial flavors, soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, vitamin A palmiate,niacinamide (vitamin B3), vitamin D3, and riboflavin (vitamin B2).

History

Yoo-hoo originated in New Jersey in the 1920s, when Italian-American Natale Olivieri sold "Tru-Fruit" soft drinks in his small store. Olivieri discovered a process to produce a chocolate soft drink that would not spoil. The name Yoo-hoo, already being used for Olivieri's other fruit drinks, was applied to the chocolate-flavored drink as well. Yoo-hoo would soon begin to be bottled by a major bottling company and to be sold in supermarkets and shops worldwide.

A bottling plant was opened up in Batesburg, South Carolina by Tommy Giresi in the 1940s.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Yoo-hoo went through a large promotional campaign that included Yogi Berra and the New York Yankees officially sponsoring the drink. The image of Berra drinking a bottle of Yoo-hoo while wearing a suit, in particular, became famous. The ads featured Berra holding the bottle next to his face and saying with a smile, "It's Me-He for Yoo-Hoo!"

Also during the 1950s, B.B.C. Industries took over Yoo-hoo. They held ownership until 1976, when it was bought by Iroquois Brands. Yoo-hoo was sold again in 1981 to a group of private investors, which in turn sold Yoo-hoo to Pernod Ricard in 1989.

In 2001, Pernod Ricard sold Yoo-hoo to Cadbury-Schweppes, with production responsibilities falling to CS's Mott's group, and marketing and advertising responsibilities under Snapple. This led to an increased awareness of the once-popular beverage.

The soft drink company's headquarters are in Rye Brook, New York, with plants in Carlstadt, New Jersey, and Opelousas, Louisiana. Yoo-hoo owns other chocolate drink brands, which include Choc-Ola, Brownie, Cocoa Dusty and Chocolate Soldier.

In May 2008, Cadbury-Schweppes split into Cadbury and the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, of which Yoo-hoo is now part.

Banania

Banania is a popular chocolate drink found most widely distributed in France. It is made from cocoa, banana flour, cereals, honey and sugar. There are two types of Banania available in French supermarkets: 'traditional' which must be cooked with milk for 10 minutes, and 'instant' which can be prepared in similar fashion to Nesquik.

History

During a visit near Lake Managua, Nicaragua, in 1909, the journalist Pierre Lardet discovered the recipe for a cocoa-based drink. When he returned to Paris, he started its commercial fabrication and, in 1912, began marketing Banania with the picture of an Antillaise. Her image was replaced in 1915 with the drawing of a widely smiling Senegalese man.

At the outset of World War I, the popularity of the colonial troops at the time led to the replacement of the West Indian by the now more familiar jolly Senegalese infantry man enjoying Banania. Pierre Lardet took it upon himself to distribute the product to the Army, using the line pour nos soldats la nourriture abondante qui se conserve sous le moindre volume possible ("for our soldiers: the abundant food which keeps, using the least possible space").

The brand's yellow background underlines the banana ingredient, and the Senagalese infantryman's red and blue uniform make up the other two main colours. The slogan Y'a bon ("It's good") derives from the pidgin French supposedly used by these soldiers (it is, in fact, an invention). Slowly but surely, the slogan and the character became inseparable as the expression was coined: l'ami y'a bon ("the y'a bon buddy").

The form of the character has since evolved, so that now all that remains is the name. However, the original advertising has become a cultural icon in France. Posters and reproduction tin-plate signs of the pre-war advertising continue to be sold.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Banania sponsored the Yellow Jersey of the Tour de France. In France the Banania brand is now owned by the newly-founded French company Nutrial, which acquired it from Unilever in 2003.

Controversy

The advertising slogans and images have been labelled racist and colonialist by some who argue that it reinforces the old cliché of a friendly yet stupid African. Some French black people connect this stereotype with aggressive colonialist policy in Africa of the global group Unilever, the old unique owner of the brand. Martiniquan psychiatrist and philosopher, Frantz Fanon in his 1952 book Black Skin, White Masks mentions the grinning Senegalese tirailleur as an example of how in a burgeoning consumer culture, the Negro appears not only as an object, but as "an object in the midst of other objects".

Nesquik

Nesquik is a family of milk beverage products made by the Nestlé corporation. It began as a chocolate powdered flavoring mix in the United States in 1948, as Nestlé Quik. In the 1950s, it was launched in Europe as Nesquik. In countries with the Quik term (including the USA, Canada,Mexico, and Australia, where it was originally marketed under the name Nestlé's Quik), the name was changed to the worldwide brand Nesquikin 1999. At the same time, General Mills introduced Nesquik cereal, a breakfast cereal that "turns milk into chocolate milk," which is similar to Cocoa Puffs.

Product line

Powders

• Nestle Quik Chocolate Powder was introduced in 1948.
• Nestle Quik Banana Powder was introduced 1954.
• Nestle Quik Strawberry Powder was introduced prior to 1960.
• Nestle Quik Vanilla Powder was introduced in 1979
• Additional powder flavors have been introduced, but discontinued: Cherry (1989–1995), Cream (1997), Triple Chocolate (2002–2006), Vanilla (2003–2006), Honey (2001–2006), Crème Soda (sold in South Africa until recently).

• Nestle Quik Chocolate No Sugar Added was introduced in 1993. This product contains artificial sweetener (sucralose).

Syrup

• Nestle Quik Chocolate Syrup was introduced in 1981. Strawberry was added in 1989. Mixed flavours, such as Strawberry Banana and Chocolate Caramel, have also been produced.

Ready-to-Drink

• Nestle introduced Ready-to-Drink Quik Chocolate Milk in 1984. Strawberry was added in 1987, and Banana was added in 1990. Vanilla and Double Chocolate are also available.
• Fat Free Quik Chocolate Milk was introduced in 1998.
• Nesquik Milkshakes come in Chocolate and Strawberry. Chocolate Caramel was introduced in 2007.
• Nestle introduced Nesquik "Magic" Straws in 2008

The ready-to-drink versions of Nesquik ended production in 2009 in the UK.

Others

• Nestlé Nesquik chocolate candy bars (back then, they were known as Nestlé Quik candy bars before the name change).
• "Nestlé Nesquik" breakfast cereal, made of chocolate-flavored rice and corn puffs, is produced by Cereal Partners Worldwide, a joint venture between General Mills and Nestlé. This, like some other chocolate breakfast cereals, flavors the milk.
• A Nesquik flavor of Nestlé hot cocoa mix features bunny-shaped marshmallows and advertises 38% more calcium than regular hot cocoa.

Swiss Miss

Swiss Miss is a name brand for cocoa powder and pudding products sold by American food company ConAgra Foods, Inc. The brand advertises that it is created with a blend of "dark European cocoa", and Swiss Miss is a well-established, well-known brand of instant hot chocolate.

They have multiple products including different lines of Hot Cocoa. Their hot cocoa is available in regular and "no sugar added", with or without small marshmallows, Great Start Cocoa (fortified with 15 essential vitamins and minerals) and Pick-Me-Up (with 67 mg of caffeine/packet).

History

In the 1950s the company sold its original hot cocoa product as an on board beverage to airline passengers. Only after the drink became popular did it sell products in grocery stores.

Chocolate milk

Chocolate milk is a sweetened, usually cold, cocoa-flavored milk drink. It is created when chocolate syrup (or chocolate powder) is mixed with milk (from cows, goats, soy, rice, etc). It can be purchased pre-mixed or made at home with either cocoa powder and a sweetener (such as sugar or a sugar substitute), or with melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, or chocolate milk mix. Other ingredients, such as starch, salt, carrageenan, vanilla, or artificial flavoring may be added. Chocolate milk should be refrigerated like plain milk. A suspension is required to blend in the two flavors (milk and chocolate, hence the name of the mixed drink). When chocolate milk begins to spoil, it gives off a coffee-like odor, unlike plain milk, and due to the properties of the carrageenan, certain brands are known to, after a certain amount of time, coagulate into a viscous, chunky bottom layer and a thin, watery upper layer. It was invented by Hans Sloane in the late 1680s.

Supplement

Some nutritionists have criticized chocolate milk for its high sugar content and its relationship to childhood obesity. Of the milk served in U.S. schools, 71 percent is flavored. In New York City, school food officials say nearly 60 percent of the 100 million cartons served each year are fat-free chocolate milk. Because chocolate milk can contain twice as much sugar as plain low-fat milk from added sugars, some school districts have stopped serving it, including those in Berkeley, CA, and Washington, DC. In the US, 32 percent of children and teens are overweight and at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure and other issues related to obesity.

A number of studies indicate that chocolate milk aids in recovery when taken after athletic workouts. A study at Loughborough University found that Milk was an effective rehydration drink. In a 2010 report it was studied with 13 college soccer players with results in favor of chocolate milk workout supplementation. In a 2006 study, authors believed the benefits were due to its ratio of carbohydrates to protein, among other nutritional properties. However, this study was small in scale with only nine athletes and partially funded by the dairy industry. Furthermore, the study compared chocolate milk to two energy drinks and unflavored milk was not used as a comparison, so it is unknown if chocolate milk is superior to unflavored milk as a recovery drink.

A 2005 study by the New York City (NYC) Department of Education found that by removing whole milk and replacing it with low-fat to fat-free chocolate milk, students were served an estimated 5,960 fewer calories and 619 fewer grams of fat per year.

Chocolate supplies oxalic acid, which reacts with the calcium in the milk producing calcium oxalate, thus preventing the calcium from being absorbed in the intestine. However, it is present in small enough amounts that the effect on calcium absorption is negligible. As chocolate contains relatively small amounts of oxalate, it is unclear to what extent chocolate consumption affects healthy people who eat calcium-rich diets. In a 2008 study, participants who consumed one or more servings of chocolate on a daily basis had lower bone density and strength than those participants who ate a serving of chocolate six times a week or less. Researchers believe this may be due to oxalate inhibiting calcium absorption — but it could also be due to the chocolate's sugar content, which may increase calcium excretion. It is clear, however, that consuming foods high in oxalate — and in turn their effect on calcium absorption — is a more significant concern for people with oxalate kidney stones, which occur when there is too much oxalate in the urine. These people, especially, should reduce their oxalate intake and increase their calcium intake. However, the high magnesium content in chocolate is likely to reduce the risk of stone formation somewhat, because like citrate, magnesium is also an inhibitor of urinary crystal formation.

A November 2009 study conducted by scientists in Barcelona, Spain suggests that regularly consuming skim milk with cocoa rich in flavonoids may reduce inflammation and slow or prevent the development of atherosclerosis. However, the study notes that its effects are not as pronounced as seen in consumption of red wine.

Cafe mocha

Mocha Latte in Costa Rica

A caffè mocha or café mocha  is a variant of a caffè latte, inspired by the Turin Coffee beverage Bicerin. Like a caffe latte, it is based on espresso and hot milk, but with added chocolate, typically in the form of sweet cocoa powder, although many varieties use chocolate syrup. Mochas can contain dark or milk chocolate.

Like cappuccino, café mochas contain the well-known milk froth on top, although they are sometimes served with whipped cream instead. They are usually topped with a dusting of either cinnamon or cocoa powder. Marshmallows may also be added on top for flavor and decoration.

A variant is white café mocha, made with white chocolate instead of milk or dark. There are also variants of the drink that mix the two syrups; this mixture is referred to by several names, including black and white mocha, tan mocha, marble mocha, tuxedo mocha and zebra.

Café mocha takes its name from the Red Sea coastal town of Mocha, Yemen, which as far back as the fifteenth century was a dominant exporter of coffee, especially to areas around the Arabian Peninsula.

The caffeine content is approximately 10.9 mg/oz (370 mg/L), which is 175 mg for a 16 oz glass.

A mocha with a layer of espresso atop a hot chocolate

Mocha coffee beans

Mocha is also used to describe a type of coffee bean. Smaller and rounder than most other varieties, these beans are derived from the coffee species Coffea arabica, which is native to Ethiopia and Yemen. Although the beans originally shipped from the port of Mocha, Yemen were thought to have had a chocolate-like taste, current mocha beans from Yemen do not.

"Mocha coffee" can refer either to the coffee-with-chocolate drink, or simply to coffee brewed with mocha beans, which were originally cultivated in Yemen and exported through the port of Mocha.

a Caffè Mocha. with milk, Arabica Mocha espresso, milk froth, chocolate syrup, and various toppings. served with amaretto cookie.

Sno Balls

Sno Balls are cream-filled chocolate cakes, which are then covered with marshmallow frosting and coconut flakes. They are marketed by Hostess. Sno Balls are usually pink; however, they are also available in chocolate, lemon, white, green, blue and other colors, depending on the holiday. They come in packages of two and are sold at many convenience and grocery stores in the United States of America. A similar cake, called a "Snowball", is often sold at supermarkets in the United Kingdom; these cakes are typically covered in desiccated coconut, but are typically brown rather than pink, because they may have chocolate on their outside.

History

Sno Balls were first introduced in 1947. Hostess attributes their initial popularity to Americans being released from the flour andsugar rationing during World War II. Originally, the cakes were colored white and lacked the crème filling. The crème filling was added in 1950. A little later the pink coloring was added to the shredded coconut in one of the two cakes in each package, but eventually the company decided that it was more efficient to have both cakes the same color, and they decided to color both cakes in each package pink.

Other colors (sometimes with their own names) besides pink are sold at particular times of the year, including:

• White - winter
• Orange (Scary Cakes) - Halloween
• Neon green (Glo Balls) - Halloween
• Green (Lucky Puffs) - St. Patrick's Day
• Lavender (Hoppers) - spring

Sachertorte

Sachertorte  (German pronunciation: [ˈzaxɐˌtɔʁtə]) is a specific type of a chocolate cake, or torte invented by chance by Jewish Austrian Franz Sacher in 1832 for Klemens Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the most famous Viennese culinary specialties. The Original Sachertorte is made only in Vienna and Salzburg, and it is shipped from both locations. The only place where the Original Sachertorte is available outside of Austria is in the Sacher shop of Bolzano (Bozen),Italy.

Composition

The cake consists of two layers of dense, not overly sweet chocolate cake (traditionally a sponge cake) with a thin layer of apricot jam in the middle and dark chocolate icing on the top and sides. It is traditionally served with whipped cream without any sugar in it, as most Viennese consider the Sachertorte too "dry" to be eaten on its own.

Variations

The crucial differences between the "Original" Sacher Torte and "Demel's Sacher Torte" arise from each institution's treatment of the cake's distinctive layers of conserve. The Hotel Sacher's torte exhibits two separate layers of apricot-flavored preserve between the outer layer of chocolate icing and the biscuit base while Demel's cake has only one.

There are various recipes attempting to copy the "Original", and some may be found below. For example, at the cultural event "Graz-Kulturhauptstadt 2003", the "Sacher-Masoch-Torte" was presented (its name alluding to Leopold von Sacher-Masoch), a cake unique in that it uses redcurrant jam and marzipan

Production and sale of the "Original Sacher Torte"

The "Original Sacher Torte" is available exclusively at the Vienna and Salzburg locations of the Hotel Sacher, at the Cafes Sacher in Innsbruck and Graz, at the Sacher Shop inBozen, in the Duty Free area of the Vienna airport and via the web at the Hotel Sacher's online shop.

The recipe of the Hotel Sacher's version of the cake is a closely guarded secret. Those privy to it claim that the secret to the Sacher Torte's desirability lies not in the ingredients of the cake itself, but rather those of the chocolate icing. According to widely available information, the icing consists of three special types of chocolate, which are produced exclusively by different manufacturers for this sole purpose. The hotel obtains these products from Lübeck and Belgium.

Franz Sacher

Red velvet cake

A red velvet cake is a popular cake with a dark red, bright red or red-brown color. It is usually prepared as a layer cake topped with cream cheese icing. The reddish color is achieved by adding red food coloring.

Common ingredients include buttermilk, butter, flour, cocoa, cookie dough if using that filling, and beetroot or red food coloring. The amount of cocoa used varies in different recipes. Cream cheese frosting is most commonly paired with the cake, as well as the traditional buttercream.

History

James Beard's 1972 reference American Cookery describes three red velvet cakes varying in the amounts of shortening and butter. All use red food coloring, but the reaction of acidic vinegar and buttermilk tends to better reveal the red anthocyanin in the cocoa. Before more alkaline "Dutch Processed" cocoa was widely available, the red color would have been more pronounced. This natural tinting may have been the source for the name "Red Velvet" as well as "Devil's Food" and similar names for chocolate cakes.

While foods were rationed during World War II, bakers used boiled beets to enhance the color of their cakes. Boiled grated beets or beet baby food are found in some red velvet cake recipes, where they also serve to retain moisture. Adams Extract, a Texas based company, is credited for bringing the Red Velvet Cake to kitchens across America during the time of the Great Depression by being one of the first to sell red food color and other flavor extracts with the use of point-of-sale posters and tear-off recipe cards. . The cake and its original recipe, however, are most well-known in the United States from New York City's famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The cake's original recipe is also made with buttercream icing, while a Southern variation of the cake is made with cream cheese frosting. Beetroot or beets are not used in the Southern version of the Red Velvet recipe.

In Canada the cake was a well-known dessert in the restaurants and bakeries of the Eaton's department store chain in the 1940s and 1950s. Promoted as an exclusive Eaton's recipe, with employees who knew the recipe sworn to silence, many mistakenly believed the cake to be the invention of the department store matriarch, Lady Eaton.

A resurgence in the popularity of this cake is partly attributed to the 1989 film Steel Magnolias in which the groom's cake (a southern tradition) is a red velvet cake made in the shape of an armadillo. In recent years, red velvet cake has become increasingly popular and can usually be found in most cupcake bakeries.

Molten chocolate cake

Molten chocolate cake or lava cake is a popular dessert that combines the elements of a flourless chocolate cake (sometimes called a chocolate decadence cake) and a soufflé. Some other names used are chocolate fondant pudding, chocolatemoelleux and chocolate lava cake.

History

The US-based chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten claims to have invented molten chocolate cake in New York City in 1987, but the French chef and chocolatier Jacques Torres has disputed that claim, arguing that such a dish already existed in France. According to Vongerichten, he pulled a chocolate sponge cake from the oven before it was done and found that the center was still runny, but was warm and had both a good taste and a good texture. Regardless of who invented the dish, Vongerichten has been credited with popularizing it in the United States, and it is now almost a de rigueur inclusion on high-end restaurant dessert menus.

Preparation

Molten lava cakes are always baked in ramekin dishes and have four main ingredients: butter, eggs, sugar, and chocolate. The butter and chocolate are melted together, while the eggs are either whisked with the sugar to form a thick paste, producing a denser finished product; or are separated so the egg whites can be whipped into an egg foam to provide more lift (and thus a lighter cake) when the mixture is baked.

Presentation

Rather than presenting only the cake itself in a ramekin or on a plate, the baker may choose to make the cake more appealing. Fresh raspberries, a drizzling of raspberry and/or chocolate sauce, and dustings of powdered sugar may be added to enhance flavor, or a sprig of mint may look more appealing as well. For a more intense chocolate taste, the baker may also add a tablespoon of strong coffee.

Joffre cake

A Joffre cake is a chocolate buttermilk layer cake filled with chocolate ganache and frosted with chocolate buttercream originally created at Bucharest's famed Casa Capşa restaurant, in honor of a visit by French General Joseph Joffre, shortly after World War I.

Some commentators say the size of the Joffre cake, probably had as a model the French casquet worn by soldiers during World War I.

German chocolate cake

In the United States, German chocolate cake, originally known as German's chocolate cake, is a layered chocolate cake filled and topped with a coconut-pecan frosting. It owes its name to American Sam German, who developed a brand of dark baking chocolate used for the cake. Sweet baking chocolate is traditionally used for the chocolate flavor in the actual cake, but few recipes call for it today. The filling and/or topping is a caramel made with egg yolks and evaporated milk; once the caramel is cooked, coconut and pecans are stirred in.Occasionally, a chocolate frosting is spread on the sides of the cake and piped around the circumference of the layers to hold in the filling. Maraschino cherries are occasionally added as a garnish.

History

Contrary to popular belief, German chocolate cake did not originate in Germany. Its roots can be traced back to 1852 when American Sam German developed a brand of dark baking chocolate for the American Baker's Chocolate Company. The product, Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate, was named in honor of him.

In 1957, the original recipe for "German's Chocolate Cake" was sent by a Dallas, Texas, homemaker to a local newspaper. This recipe used the baking chocolate introduced 105 years prior and became quite popular. General Foods, which owned the Baker's brand at the time, took notice and distributed the cake recipe to other newspapers in the country. Sales of Baker's Chocolate are said to have increased by as much as 73% and the cake would become a national staple. The possessive form (German's) was dropped in subsequent publications, forming the "German Chocolate Cake" identity we know today and giving the false impression of a German origin.

The recipe still remains popular to this day and has been adopted by baking companies.

Garash cake

Garash is a type of chocolate cake very popular in Bulgarian cuisine. It is a very popular cake commonly found in Bulgarian patisseries and restaurants.

Preparation

Five 2 mm-thin round cake plates are made from a batter consisting of 200 g ground walnut kernels, 8 egg whites and 220 g crystal and powdered sugar. After baking and cooling, they are arranged one on top of the other and frosted in between, on top, and on the sides with a frosting made of sweet cream and bitter chocolate. Afterwards, the cake is covered with chocolate icing.

Fudge cake

A fudge cake is a chocolate cake containing fudge.

Varieties

"This recipe is also known as "Death by Chocolate, as it contains a considerible amount of chocolate, if topped with chocolate ice cream and lashings of whipped cream." In addition to Death By Chocolate, the many variations include pudding fudge cake, made with chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding, and chocolate chips.

Alternatively, "fudge cake" is a term in the American South to refer to a dense, single-layer chocolate cake served with or without icing. It is similar to a brownie, although moister with more chocolate.

One could say fudge cake is very similar to red velvet cake. Fudge cake is not the size of a full-sized chocolate cake, so is more like a pastry. It is also similar to a brownie, as both have dense, chocolaty tastes.