Virtuoso Life - November/December 2007 - (Page 70) GLOBAL GOURMET a beverage, and not even a sweet one. From cozy Mexican chocolaterías to the grandest salons of Europe, and recently, across the United States, chocolate is celebrated in liquids thick or milky, sweet or spicy. Although endless variations on drinkable chocolate abound, there is a (somewhat blurry) line between “hot cocoa” and “drinking chocolate.” True drinking chocolate, generally made from melted solid chocolate and diluted with fresh milk or cream, differs from powdered cocoas, which are made from cocoa powder, milk powder, and sugar. Cocoa usually lacks the richness and complexity that characterize a true, high-quality drinking chocolate – the thick beverage-slash-dessert celebrated around the world. Here are a few favorite global traditions for drinking chocolate, as well as some tasty places stateside that are starting to catch on. ITALY Caffè al Bicerin, Turin The Italians have made their mark on drinkable chocolate, most notably in northerly Turin. In the city’s palatial coffeehouses, whose splendor and history add a helping of elegance to the general atmosphere of business and industry, you’ll find the bicerin, a drink of melted chocolate, espresso, and cream. More than just a mocha, the bicerin is a ritual served up in elegant glasses, and it’s best enjoyed at the aptly named Caffè al Bicerin, where the recipe for the hot chocolate was developed two centuries ago and has been carefully guarded ever since. Piazza della Consolata 5; 39-011/436-9325; www. bicerin.it MEXICO Chocolatería Mama Sarita, Mexico City Mexico City was one of the first places where chocolate was consumed, back when it was Tenochtitlán, capital of the Aztec empire. Today, the city is a must-taste for chocoholics, and Chocolatería Mama Sarita, in the Condesa neighborhood, is a deliciously user-friendly place to start. Customers can choose their flavorings, which include orange, almond, mint, and even mezcal; their milk (whole, skim, or soy); and their sweetener (sugarcane, fructose, or syrup from the maguey plant, a succulent related to agave, the source of tequila). There’s even a Colombian-style chocolate that features manchego cheese. Juan de la Barrera 1-D, between Pachuca and Mazatlan, Colonia Condesa; 5255/5553-1362 SPAIN Chocolatería San Ginés, Madrid Liquid chocolate here is known mostly as the second half of churros y chocolate. Turin in a cup: Caffè al Bicerin’s interior and (top) signature bicerin chocolate. 70 V I RT U O S O L I F E http://www.bicerin.it http://www.bicerin.it
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