Hot Chocolate Information

For many people, the whole point of a cup of hot chocolate or hot cocoa is its invigorating dose of sugar and fat. However, sugar-free and fat-free mixes are widely available, especially of low-priced supermarket brands like Swiss Miss or Nestle.

A thread on the foodie site Chowhound.com about the best sugar-free hot chocolate mix yields a variety of suggestions, ranging from Swiss Miss to Cadbury's Highlights. On the whole, though, reviewers tend to be dismissive of sugar-free mixes, saying they're not "real" hot chocolate.

Considering the prices of gourmet hot chocolate mixes, you may be inspired to whip up your own concoctions in the kitchen. The Coffee/Tea Guide at About.com lists ten top hot chocolate recipes.

You can easily find additional recipes by searching on Google.

A history of hot chocolate and hot cocoa called "Rediscover True Hot Chocolate -- History of Hot Chocolate" can be found on Linda Stradley's What's Cooking America website.

Another article on the history and processing of Cocoa can be found on Wikipedia.

Manufacturers' websites:

Ghirardelli

Godiva

Hershey's

Jacques Torres

Lake Champlain

Land O' Lakes

MarieBelle

Scharffen Berger

Schokinag

Swiss Miss