For anyone who watched Dragon’s Den on Thursday 18th January 2024, Mediterranean, thick hot drinking chocolate is a hidden gem of Menorca. Since first visiting the island in 1980, I have loved the chocolate there, but it was only after going to Ronda in South Spain – or watching the film Chocolat – that I heard about the thick drinking cacao, which originates from South America. Maybe the history of it is dark, if the Conquistadors brought it back to Spain (perhaps like Empasadas) but Menorca has its own brand of drinking chocolate, which is unmissable.

The difference between chocolate and cacao was recently explained to me and I found some Columbian drinking cacao I’d never used and tested out thickening it with a little bit of flour. LIke making white sauce, or roux, it worked. Therefore, I did not need to use the ready made packets such as the top left and top right products below. I used the 100% Columbian cacao (centre top) and bought some Full Power Cacao (as seen on Dragon’s Den) and some Wild Soul Cacao

Using the cacao, here is my recipe

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of cacao per drinker – by adding a splash of milk (I used oatmilk) to stop it sticking to the pan. When soft, stir the cacao into paste.
2. Boil a cup of milk per person.
3. With a whisk, distribute the dark paste evenly into the hot milk, then add a tablespoon of flour (I used buckwheat flour).
4. With a whisk, slowly heat the milk and chocolate mixture and a tablespoon of flour (I used buckwheat flour).
5. Like a roux or white sauce, the cacao will thicken with the milk and flour.
6. Add honey for sweetening.

It thickens in a similar way to making cheese sauce, roux or béchamel. This is because chocolate contains the macronutrient of fat. This is partly what makes it healthy, an antioxidant containing fibre and nutritious, containing copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and zinc. It is totally natural that this plant – particularly without added sugar – makes us happier.