The video explores various styles of hot chocolate from around the world, starting with American hot cocoa, notably Swiss Miss, and moving on to French, Italian, and Mexican versions. Each style is described in detail, including the specific ingredients and methods used. The host then creates his own hot chocolate recipe, combining elements he liked from each style. He also demonstrates variations for different times of the day, incorporating coffee for a morning boost and Baileys Irish Cream for an evening treat. The recipes and additional holiday content are available for sale on the host's website.
Here are the key facts:
1. The video discusses four styles of hot chocolate from around the world: American, French, Italian, and Mexican.
2. American hot cocoa is often made with a mix, such as Swiss Miss, which is invented by Charles Sanna and sold by Conagra Foods.
3. French hot chocolate uses at least 70% bittersweet chocolate and is made by heating milk with chocolate and sugar.
4. Italian hot chocolate is thicker than other versions and uses cornstarch as a thickening agent.
5. Mexican hot chocolate was the first hot chocolate made by the Aztecs and Mayans, and it uses a specialized ingredient called piloncillo, a type of sugar cane.
6. The speaker uses a combination of 70% bittersweet chocolate and 66% semi-sweet chocolate for their hot chocolate recipe.
7. The speaker's recipe also includes whipped cream, maple syrup, and a hint of cinnamon.
8. The speaker uses an immersion blender to froth the hot chocolate, similar to the Mexican molinillo technique.
9. The speaker provides two variations of their hot chocolate recipe, one with espresso for a morning pick-me-up and another with Baileys Irish Cream for a boozy after-dinner drink.
10. The speaker's holiday plan, which includes all the recipes from the video, is available for sale on their website.