I may not know coffee, but I sure know chocolate. Especially hot chocolate. Someone recommended that I stop by this little shop known as Koko Black and try a hot chocolate. Now way back in the day chocolate salons were popular across Europe. At some point they went out of vogue, but they have been making their way back. And they have crossed the Atlantic into the US as chocolate lounges (I saw an article on them once – there’s one somewhere in Chicago). Here they are chocolatierres, or something like that, and specialize in anything chocolate.
I went for a cup of hot chocolate, which is distinct from hot cocoa. Hot cocoa is what we Americans think is hot chocolate – the powder stuff, or some syrup with steamed milk. Hot chocolate is shavings of chocolate melted with hot milk and turned into basically a decadent Hershey bar in a cup – only it’s Belgian dark chocolate that leaves a little chunk at the bottom of your cup when you are through.
I’m not sure I can describe what it is like to drink chocolate, except to say that it is very rich – and very good. I’ve won some other people over with the tasty treat, and we decided that a chocolatierre is a place to go on a date. Perfect to sit down over one of these extravagant little delights and enjoy talk about a movie you just saw, the dinner you just finished, or whatever topic comes to mind. Everything’s sweeter with chocolate.
And that was my first experience.
I went back a second time for the Brazillian twist – chili powder in the drink. You don’t really taste chili powder, per se. Instead, there’s this kick to every sip – which can get caught in your throat if you aren’t expecting it.
Think Chocolate, the movie. That’s Koko Black.
1 comment:
Thoughts on food:
Dim sims seem to be loved much more in VIC than in New South Wales.
Kebabs in NSW always come with tabouli but not in VIC.
And 'salad' in a sandwich came often with pickles in SA, and not VIC or NSW.
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