venta

A couple of years ago I was reading Chocolat, and kept finding myself being jealous of the chocolate the lady made for customers. Then I'd realise that actually this wonderful nectar she was describing was only chocolate and thus not nearly as enticing as expected[*]. Chocolate's nice enough, but I can't get excited about it. Joanne Harris' descriptions of chocolate, however, made it sound exotic, mysterious and beautiful.

I've always found hot chocolate in particular a disappointment. In books, people talk about "a cup of chocolate" and it always sounds terribly appealing. Then I make or buy hot chocolate, and it turns out to be insipid, vaguely chocolate-flavoured hot milk. Hot chocolate should, in my imagination, be of a much thicker consistency.

Exactly once in my life (so far) have I had hot chocolate that lived up to the hype, in a café in Paris. I don't think the café was anything special, really, it was a chain with a vaguely North American Indian-sounding name and an orange fascia. ChrisC and I had brunch there and (having chosen tea) I stole almost all of his hot chocolate. Twice, chocolate vendors have come close - the Cafe Ritazza in Paddington Station once served me an almost-perfect cup that tasted of hazelnuts (a few weeks later they were back to selling blashy, bland rubbish), and the stripey tent sold me an almost-perfect cup on Sunday night at Glastonbury this year.

But that's it. So, the question I ask is this: how do you make nice hot chocolate ? It should be the consistency of thick cream, and a "blanket" should form rapidly on the top as it does on custard. It should be dark and rich, but not too sweet, and slightly cooler than hot.

Yes, I've tried using proper powdered chocolate (Green & Blacks, Charbonnel et Walker) and full-fat milk. The result is just thin. If you start putting more chocolate in, it gets bitter. I've mixed cream with chocolate when making cakes, and that doesn't have the right result either. I wondered if evaporation might be the trick, but that just results in less hot chocolate (which is mysteriously not noticeably thicker) - which is a shame, because it was a good theory. If shops made up vats of the stuff, it'd explain why you occasionally get a good cup.

If anyone has any idea how to make it, then please give me a clue. Otherwise, suggestions welcome of places which might serve it.

[*] Yeah, I know, I just lost 50% of readers. Just bear with me, ok?