Is there a better treat than a decadent hot vegan chocolate when it’s chilly outside?
Specially during the cold winter days, hot chocolate is great as a snack or for breakfast.
It gives us energy, increases our brain power, and releases the feel-good chemicals in our body that boost our mood naturally.
So today, let me show you the hot chocolate vegan, Ayurvedic version.
The history of hot chocolate
Mayans on the Yucatán peninsula were the first to drink chocolate as early as 500 BC. They believed cacao was discovered by the gods in a mountain and given to their people following their creation.
After grinding the cacao seeds in a mortar, they would mix it with water, cornmeal, and chili peppers by pouring it back and forth from a cup to a pot, until it formed a thick foam on top. They drank it cold.
The entire process played a significant role in their rituals and ceremonies.
By the 1500s, the Spanish conquistadors brought the cocoa beans and the tools required to make chocolate to Spain. It was specially consumed by the upper classes there, and — maybe because of the cold weather? — it was served hot, rather than cold.
The Spanish also added sugar and removed the chili peppers.
Hot chocolate became popular in London in the 1700s, where they included milk in the recipe and enjoyed it as an after-dinner drink.
From that time to now, things have changed quite a bit, and hot chocolate is not as wholesome.
Most recipes utilize chocolate chips or chocolate bars. But, they are often loaded with sugar and have minimal amounts of cocoa. Other processed ingredients include whip cream and marshmallows.
The preparation ritual has also been lost, and now it is common to find bland and insipid hot chocolate from coffee vending machines.
Ayurveda and chocolate
According to Ayurveda, cacao might exacerbate Vata and Pitta doshas as it is mobile, hot, and overly stimulating.
These two constitutions tend to be hyperactive, restless, and impatient, so drinking hot chocolate might increase those symptoms of aggravation and also produce migraines, undesirable skin conditions, like acne or rashes, and stinging in the eyes.
Vata dosha can be particularly affected since chocolate is difficult to digest and could result in the production of ama or toxic waste.
However, because chocolate has a hot energy and is a nervine, it can pacify Kapha dosha.
My hot vegan chocolate recipe considers all these factors and by including milk, dates, and spices, it can decrease the negative effect that it may have on Vata and Pitta and elevate the already beneficial impact on Kapha.
Learn more about the Ayurvedic perspective on chocolate.
Hot Vegan Chocolate Recipe
Hot Vegan Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs Organic cacao powder
- 2 Dates
- 1 Cup Almond milk
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 2 Cloves
Instructions
- Cut the dates into little pieces.
- Blend the milk, the dates, and the cacao.
- Add this mixture, plus the cinnamon and cloves, to a pan over medium heat.
- Simmer until it reaches your desired temperature.
- Reduce the amount of cacao and observe how tolerable you are. Increase the amount gradually.
- Add a pinch of dry ginger and sea salt.
- Omit the cinnamon and cloves.
- Add instead cardamom and vanilla.
- Prepare the hot chocolate in water, instead of milk.
- Or add a pinch of cayenne pepper to boost your metabolism.
Also check the benefits of having a cacao ceremony
