Spanish Thick Hot Chocolate Drink (Chocolate a la Taza)
by Thom & Aimee
To appreciate chocolate, it’s essential to understand how the cocoa bean was consumed in its early days. Chocolate was first enjoyed by the Aztecs and Mayans as a beverage. The cocoa seeds were ground into a paste and mixed with water and other ingredients. The Spanish brought this drink back to their country, and added one key ingredient that probably made the hot chocolate of today – sugar. Soon, the whole of Europe became enamoured with the thick liquid. The rest, as they say, is history.
Considering its deep connection with Spain, it is no surprise that the people are obsessed about chocolate as much as their football (okay, maybe lesser than football.). If the English love their tea, well, that’s chocolate to the Spaniards. Chocolate drinking establishments called chocolaterias serve this drink alongside cakes and pastries, and the more famously known churros.
My reading list included Claudia Roden’s The Food of Spain recently and it made me weak in the knees. If there was any book I wished I will write in the future, this was it. The book brilliantly captured the importance of food and it’s place in history and culture; the subtle differences in flavours and culinary styles in each region; the ingredients available and how it translated onto the dish. They say books can bring you to another world, and I felt as though I was eating my way through Spain.
Spanish Thick Hot Chocolate Drink (Chocolate a la Taza)
By Claudia Roden
Serves 2-4
2 teaspoons corn flour
500ml whole milk
100g of 70% cacao dark chocolate, finely chopped
2-3 teaspoons of sugar, or to taste
Directions
Dissolve corn flour in 2 tablespoons of cold milk. Bring the rest of the milk to boil in a saucepan and pour in the corn flour mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until the milk thickens slightly and becomes creamy.
Add the chopped chocolate and keep stirring until it has melted entirely. Then stir in sugar to taste, or just omit it like we did. Serve it warm with churros.
TIP
You can add more chocolate if you wish it to have a more chocolaty taste. We omitted the sugar as we thought it was sweet enough, even without the sugar.
Thom & Aimee 
This looks beautiful! I’d love to give it a try! Thanks!
Thank you!! Let us know how it goes! 😀
If that’s true, I should visit Spain — and soon! I love chocolate and churros, and it’s hard to find really good, authentic versions of both where I live.
We would love to travel to Spain too! But we’ll have to settle for our homemade version for now! Why not try your local Spanish restaurants? They might it!
We actually don’t have any authentic Spanish restaurants nearby. The local crowd seems to prefer Mexican, so we have at least 8 of those restaurants in town! Maybe when I vacation near a big city, I’ll search out a Spanish restaurant there. :]
8 restaurants!! You guys must love your Mexican food!! Some Mexican restaurants do serve churros and chocolate, but not sure how those will taste like! (Your blog is lovely!! The photos are so vibrant!)
We actually just had another Mexican restaurant open (go figure), and they do serve churros as part of their dessert menu. They also offer a cheesecake burrito and nutella chimichangas… Interesting plates, but I’m still hoping to try them sometime!
And thank you! That’s really sweet of you. :]
Cheesecake burrito and Nutella chimichangas!? Can’t imagine how they will taste like! If you do try them, let us know!! 😀
I certainly will! I’m hoping to try out the restaurant in the next few weeks once the Grand Opening crowds die down. I’ll have to eat a really small meal though if I’m expected to try all three desserts! ;]
lovely! but what are those delicious looking treats in the pic along with hot chocolate???
Those are churros!! 🙂