It is a common custom to drink coffee in Italy in large quantities, one cup at a moment, all year. When the weather turns a little cooler, there is a sweet drink that can be used as a dessert. Cioccolata calda (Italian hot chocolate) can be difficult to consume without a spoon.
When I first visited Italy in autumn, I was introduced to hot chocolate. I thought back to the chocolate I had grown up with at home: foil packets of chocolate mixed with boiling water. You’ll eventually add too much water to the mug, and you will end up with a cloudy cup of what might be called chocolate flavor if an alien arrives in your home and has never tried chocolate. Also, hot chocolate was not something I wanted to try, even though it was Italian.
But, I was wrong.
It’s common to find hot chocolate with a pudding-like texture in Italy. Lightweight espresso spooons can sometimes stand upright in the cup. It’s not made with water or powder. Instead, it is made with chocolate pieces, sugar, and milk. To avoid lumps and burning, the chocolate is melted in specially designed machines. Because other countries also have similar concoctions to it, it’s sometimes called “European drinking chocolat”. If you are even remotely a chocolate lover and you visit Italy in the winter, you should look for a good cioccolata calda.
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ko Although it is a little more expensive if you choose to eat at the bar, it is one of those small indulgences that you can enjoy while on vacation. Rivoire is also famous for its chocolate candies, cakes and other sweet treats. Rivoire, as well as most other places that sell cioccolata calda, offers the option to add whipped cream to make it even more delicious. Ask for it “con panna”.
Yes, please.
Cioccolata calda machines are only available when it is cool, unlike gelato which is open all year. This is one small reward for those who visit Italy during the shoulder seasons and winter. It also comes with smaller crowds and lower prices.
Gelato is my favorite dessert. I will eat it several times per day, even when it’s winter in Italy. It’s hard to deny the warming effects of thick chocolate drinks, which melts as it cools, on cold winter days. Cioccolata calda can be a delicious treat. It also serves as a barrier to the chill. You can use it as an excuse to order it every day.
Do you want to make this at home? Here’s Paula’s recipe for Italian hot chocolate.
