By Gina Rodeghero
Sophomore Audrey Samuelson smiles while drinking a cup of her favorite hot cocoa. Photo by: Gina Rodeghero
With the cold weather approaching, something one can look forward to is a warm cup of hot cocoa.
Many people drink hot cocoa, but have never thought about where it originated from. Junior Daniel Smith states, “I think hot cocoa originated from Russia. The reason is that it is always cold there and they wanted to find a way to stay warm.” The cocoa bean is from middle or South America. Freshman Bridget explains where she thinks it comes from, “I think it comes from Spain, they make good stuff there.” The real truth about where hot cocoa came from is, that the Aztecs or the Mayans came up with the idea and started making hot chocolate. The time of year that one would most likely hear about others drinking hot cocoa is in the winter season.
It seems as though people drink hot cocoa in the winter because it is cold outside and they want to be warm. Sophomore Audrey Samuelson says, “I think hot cocoa is mostly drunk in the winter because it is a warm drink.” But during the winter one can more likely see another picking up a warm drink instead of a cold drink.
Hot cocoa is a warm chocolate drink that some like but others do not like it at all. Daniel Smith says, “Yes, I like it because it keeps me warm and makes me think of summer time.” When one makes hot cocoa it is normally the hot cocoa powder, but back when the Aztecs made it they had to ground the beans and make it into smooth chocolate and then turn it into hot chocolate. One thing many people do not know is that the Aztecs and Mayans used chili peppers and cinnamon in the hot cocoa not just chocolate.
Hot cocoa is very yummy. People drink the original hot cocoa, but there are also so many other flavors as options when one buys hot cocoa mixes. Reasons that people came up with new flavors is probably because people wanted a change.
If people could make any sort of hot cocoa, the world would have so many new flavors and many more to come. One may have their own favorite flavors, so if they could create their own flavors there would be almost a new flavor a week. Just because one person has their favorite flavor and they like the taste does not mean others will like that flavor too. Daniel Smith says, “I do not think that I could create a new flavor of hot cocoa.” There are already so many flavors of hot cocoa but there are always going to be more possible flavors to come in the future. Back when the Aztecs and Mayans were making and drinking hot cocoa, they did not drink the hot cocoa that we would think of today. Instead of sugar they used chili peppers, and they also added cinnamon. Bridget Deaton states, “I would create eggnog hot cocoa.”
There are myths and facts but also many questions about the history of hot cocoa. Bridget Deaton asks, “How did they make hot cocoa so yummy?” Plus, people would like to know how hot cocoa was made. Well, some think that it was a mistake, but others say that it was created on purpose. When one thinks about how hot cocoa is made, someone would most likely think about just the powder that is used now. Back when the Aztecs were making hot cocoa, they used to pound the cocoa beans open and take out the insides and then mix that into the delicious treat one might think of now.
Hot cocoa can relate to things in the present day lives like the flavors people pick to drink. For instance someone who drinks original hot cocoa might be an original person like that person might like things to stay the same way and not change. Audrey Samuelson states, “I think hot cocoa represents like how someone likes a certain thing. Like they may not enjoy something because they only want it a specific way.” With all the different flavors as options there are so many things that hot cocoa can represent.
Hot chocolate is something people enjoy very much now but it trails back quite far into our history. The Aztecs and Mayans came up with the idea to make hot cocoa. Making hot chocolate was most likely not easy because of all the ingredients that one used back then. Also back then hot cocoa was a delicacy and was not taken for granted like it is now a days.