By Amanda Little
Cozy up to the best drink during the holidays: hot chocolate! Found around the world, hot chocolate has a few variations, but the only way to find the best one is to taste them all!
Champurrado
Tuck into a thick Mexican hot chocolate during the chilly season and enjoy it with a churro! This drink is special because it’s prepared with chocolate atole, as well as masa de maiz or masa harina, which is flour used to make tortillas.
Tsokolate
Made from thick blocks of cacao known as tablea, Filipino hot chocolate is known for its incredibly rich taste, grainy texture, and frothy top. Hot milk is poured over the tablea and stirred until mostly dissolved. The remaining pieces are whisked to create the foam and add the grainy texture.
Belgian Hot Chocolate
Of course Belgium has made it to a list involving decadent chocolate! Usually involving more than one kind of chocolate, Belgian hot chocolate is thick and creamy, but its rise to fame is specifically the Wittier Chocolatier recipe from Brussels. Using both bittersweet and semisweet chocolate, as well as dark and light with a pinch of salt, this hot chocolate melts the snow around it.
Chai Hot Chocolate
No recipe from India would be complete without a mouthwatering blend of spices, and this stands true for their hot chocolate! A blend of chai and hot chocolate is the drink of choice, mixing ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom in with their chocolate of choice: white.
Cioccolata Calda
Indulge in the incredibly thick Italian hot chocolate, better known as cioccolata calda. Similar to the champurrado, the Italian version calls for cornstarch to give it its creamy texture. It would be almost exactly the same, but trade out the churro for a panettone.
Colombian Hot Chocolate
Bring together sweet and salty in the best ways with a Colombian hot chocolate. Enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate whisked to perfection, then dunk some cheese in it! Allow the cheese to get melty, then scoop it up to eat and sip with your hot chocolate.
Hungarian Hot Chocolate
Hungary adds a bit of heat to their otherwise standard hot chocolate recipe with white pepper, ground cloves, and Hungarian paprika. This decadent chocolate drink is whisked to frothy perfection before warming you from your head to your toes!
Le Chocolat Chaud
Indulge in the silky smooth yet luscious hot chocolate served up in France. Made with heavy cream, bittersweet chocolate, and occasionally a sweetener, this drink is served up with a bowl of whipped cream to stir in and thin it out to make it easier to sip on.
