I must make a confession. I will never stop loving hot chocolate. Whether it's the powdered mix stirred into a hot mug of freshly heated (ahem..microwaved) milk, or an $8 cup of pure, decadent, real hot chocolate, give me a hot cup flavoured with the milky, dreamy creaminess that is chocolate and I'm a happy girl. Extra kudos for an airy layer of froth on top.




Wikipedia defines a hot chocolate as a heated beverage typically consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and sugar, and essentially, that is exactly what it is. Aficionados claim the inferior version is made from powdered chocolate, better known as drinking chocolate, which is not as sweet nor as rich as pure melted chocolate. Some places serve it with marshmallows on the side, others with a generous slathering of chocolate syrup draped across the sides of the cup, and the drink is hardly restricted to consumption at just one meal. Hot chocolate may be drunk anywhere, anytime.