Hot chocolate in a cup is a winter treat: where to find it in Rome

Calling hot chocolate lovers! In the cold season it is an essential treat. Let’s find out where to enjoy it in Rome

Chocolate has very ancient origins, in fact it is thought that before the sixteenth century it existed only in Mesoamerica. An ancient Aztec legend traces the origin of chocolate back to mythology, describing it as a gift sent by the gods. Those ancient people, in fact, used to mix cocoa with water and spices during propitiatory rites. The first to bring cocoa to Europe was Hernán Cortez in 1519. The arrival of cocoa in Europe can be considered a revolutionary event, destined to change gastronomic habits forever. Followed by another revolution, the industrial one, which transformed the production of chocolate too. The new techniques aimed to create increasingly varied and tasty ways to consume it. Dark or milk, in a solid bar or liquid, in a cup.

Hot chocolate in a cup

Sugar, chocolate, spices and coffee, as we know, have always been exotic and very expensive ingredients. We cannot forget that we are talking about elite recipes. Today it seems obvious that a child should be given chocolate as a gift, but for centuries, only the richest could enjoy it. It seems that the King of France Louis XIV was greedy for it and had special dishes for hot chocolate. He will certainly remember reading about Queen Marie Antoinette and her habit of sipping hot chocolate in the bathtub. In Italy, too, hot chocolate began to be served in cafés at the end of the seventeenth century. In Turin, the Royal House of Savoy granted permission to sell hot chocolate in a cup. Initially diluted in water, then dissolved in milk, hot chocolate became known in all the cafés of Europe.

Chocholate cities of Italy

For some Italian cities, hot chocolate is, in fact, a source of pride in the artisan tradition. Let’s start with Turin, a city defined as the home of chocolate. A city that since the eighteenth century was famous for the production of Bicerin: a drink made of cocoa, milk and coffee. At the beginning of the 19th century, cocoa became extremely difficult to find, so it became a particularly expensive ingredient. Consequently, many Piedmontese chocolatiers decided to add hazelnut paste to the cocoa paste. An ingredient abundantly present in the nearby Langhe region. From this combination was born a special chocolate called gianduiotto, in honor of the Piedmontese carnival mask: Gianduia.Let’s move on to central Italy with Perugia, elected city of Chocolate, which also hosts important themed events. Let’s not forget Sicilian Modica, home of a truly special chocolate.

Visita Roma con un gastronomo

I bite it, I spread it, I drink it!

Hot chocolate is a winter delight, little known abroad. In Rome it can be tasted in many cafes, gelateria and bars of the Capital. You can find hot chocolate in many ice cream shops, but only in winter. However, very well-known and historic places are certainly the following:

– Said: Via Tiburtina 135 (San Lorenzo District) – a unique place, a chocolate shop that has made history, so much so that its model has been exported. Creamy and dense hot chocolate, just as the Romans like it. For all tastes. It is not a chocolate shop, but a real chocolate factory.

–Regoli Bar Pasticceria: Viale dello Statuto, 60 (Esquilino District) – a cornerstone of Roman tradition since 1916, famous for its maritozzi with cream and millefoglie with wild strawberries. The hot chocolate is fabulous, but the bar is only open in the morning.

–La Caffettiera: Piazza di Pietra, 65 (Rione Campo Marzio) – a historic Neapolitan café with a retro atmosphere where you can take a break from the surrounding chaos and go back in time.

-Caffè Sant’Eustachio: Piazza Sant’Eustachio (Rione Sant’Eustachio) – a cornerstone of Roman coffee shops, with expensive table service but excellent products.

The following are not historical but certainly worth a visit:

– Amir Roma: Via del Pellegrino, 15 (Rione Parione) – a little gem near Campo de Fiori, in the heart of Rome. Excellent hot chocolate, courtesy and competence.

– Maravè: Piazza Campo de Fiori, 51 (Rione Parione) – an ice cream shop that also offers an exceptional hot chocolate

– Mariondo e Gariglio: Via piè del Marmo 21,22 (Rione Pigna) – a paradise for chocolate lovers with a decidedly timeless atmosphere.

Others will love Venchi, Vanni, Pompi, Grezzo or the café near their home that prepares it in the winter, or, certainly, the unbeatable chocolate of their aunt or grandmother.

Let’s make it at home: the hot chocolate recipe

Ingredients:

Let’s prepare the ingredients

First, let’s flavor the milk: pour the milk into a saucepan and add a vanilla bean cut lengthwise. Heat the milk until it almost boils, then turn off the heat and leave the bean to infuse for a few minutes. Then, prepare the dry mix: In a bowl, mix the bitter cocoa, sugar and corn starch until you get a uniform mixture. Then, combine the two compounds: Remove the vanilla bean from the milk and gradually add the dry mix, mixing with a whisk to avoid lumps.

We put the mix on the fire

It is time, then, to use the stove: the saucepan goes on the stove at low heat. We stir continuously, until the mixture thickens and reaches a creamy consistency. We lower the heat to minimum for a couple of minutes to thicken the cream well.

How to serve hot chocholate in a cup

Let’s serve our hot chocolate in a nice cup, preferably with a handle. It is usually served with a generous amount of whipped cream as a garnish. However, we recommend serving the cream separately, so it doesn’t melt immediately when it comes into contact with the chocolate. It will also be more elegant and everyone can add the amount they want. Many people like to accompany their hot chocolate with biscuits.

One last curiosity: In the traditional Roman cuisine of Quinto Quarto, chocolate is sprinkled on a nineteenth-century version of Coda alla Vaccinara.