Cocoa Powder Recipes

There is a significant difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate. These terms are often used interchangeably, but the distinction is in the nutritional properties. hot chocolate is made from raw cocoa powder, which is pressed chocolate which removes the fat from cocoa butter. Hot chocolate is made from chocolate bars melted into cream or powder. Often, hot chocolate has a very high sugar and fat and low cocoa content. Cocoa can be good for you, especially if you reduce the sugar and fat.

Hot chocolate has been around a long time and for good reasons. It is one of the most powerful antioxidant beverages you can drink, the more it is naturally delicious! Archaeologists have discovered that the oldest civilization of the Americas, the Olmec (1500-400 BC), were probably the first users of cacao. The Maya continued consumption of beverages made from beans. Chocolatl was the name of a drink made from roasted cocoa beans, water and spices and was consumed avidly by the aristocracy. They primarily drank cocoa, but the beans were also valued as currency.

Drink of the Gods

Originally these ancient people drank and unsweetened version of hot chocolate. This hot chocolate recipe was a mixture of ground cocoa beans, water, wine, and peppers. Soon the Spaniards begin heating the mixture adding sweeteners like sugar. In England, we added milk and created a soft drink after.

Today, people are discovering the nutritional benefits of the powerful cocoa bean. Recent research has shown that the flavonoids in chocolate are more powerful than vitamins such as ascorbic acid in protecting circulating lipids from oxidation. And the researchers found that people who eat chocolate and sweets up to three times a month live almost a year longer than people who eat too much or people who avoid unwanted. (This is a study conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health)

Now that we understand that cocoa is good for us, how we ensure that we receive the blessings of the abundance of cocoa? First get pure cocoa powder. You can identify it by its dark brown and taste bitter. Then, try mixing it with hot water and skim milk or milk substitutes such as soya milk or powdered coconut. Add a natural sweetener like agave nectar, honey or sugar turbino.

hot chocolate provides more antioxidants

Although the cocoa beans have 500 times more antioxidants than blueberries, studies show that adding a diary product actually blocks body's ability to absorb properly. To get the most antioxidants of ground cocoa mixed with liquid non-dairy hot chocolate, smoothies or shakes. You can enjoy drinking cocoa if it is hot or cold, but heating the cocoa triggers the release of more antioxidants.

For many years the common conception of hot cocoa was that of a commercially prepared mixture of packages that was essentially sweet-flavored chocolate into a sweet and instant powder for children. Now, adults are aware that the drink they love children so much better than taking vitamins! Drink your hot chocolate and pure and enjoy the best tasting health drink available.