What happened to cocao?!?

[peeplj]

Background: when a was a child, my mom used to make homemade hot cocao. It was rich and wonderful and had a lovely bite. It was a simple recipe, just powered cocao, sugar, milk, and a bit of vanilla flavoring, to smooth it out.

She used powered cocao that came in a metal tin.

Well, that's many years gone. Last week at the store I saw a tin of powdered cocao, and it brought back a lot of memories, so I figured I'd buy it and try my hand at making some hot chocolate of my own. I remember how my mom used to do it--though it's been years, I've seen her do it often enough.

I was very disappointed. "Powdered cocao" now isn't...at least, it's not the same stuff we used to buy under the same name. This was more like ground up semi-sweet baking chocolate, not cocoa at all. It's not even the same color.

I tried it anyway and what I produced is not bad, but it's no different from a regular-old instant hot-chocolate mix. All the wonderful richness and bite of the real thing are gone.

What have they done to our cocao?!?! Aaarrrggghhh!

--James

[emmline]

There are good brands. The big name ones may have changed to something cheaper, I can't say. But if you look for something in the gourmet area, or an imported brand, or at (for example) Whole Foods, you might find it more like the old kind.

[izzarina]

While I don't usually care with most products, in terms of unsweetened cocoa, brand does matter. The "off" brands just don't cut it. I have tried the store brands and have also come away disappointed. Hershey does still have a good product, and if they have changed it, it has been minimally. So, if you bought the store brand, that could be why you weren't as fond of it. Also, do you have the same recipe that your mom had? That will make a difference as well. And the other ingredients could alter the taste a bit, too. I have found certain brands of vanilla to have a different taste....and if you are using imitation rather than pure vanilla, that's going to throw the whole thing off completely. Even my kids can tell the difference when I make chocolate chip cookies with imitation rather than the real mccoy (which I have done only when desperate).

[peeplj]

It's actually Hershey brand that I bought.

--James

[Denny]

whole milk/2%?

[peeplj]

Well, it's true, we do use 2% milk instead of the whole milk that my parents used to keep.

Even the color of this ground cocoa is wrong, though: it's a deep, chocolate brown. Real cocoa isn't quite that deep a brown color, is dark but is more black than brown, and has a bit of a grey / green mixed in. The smell is wrong, too: the cocoa we used to use years ago was aromatic. You'd open the tin and you could smell it all through the kitchen instantly. To smell the new stuff, you have to put your nose right over it, and even the smell is different. The old kind of cocoa had a powerful, slightly bitter smell; this new stuff just smells like chocolate.

I guess it's gone the way of the dodo--after all, the last time I drank my mom's hot chocolate was probably well over twenty years ago, and, unfortunately, she's not around to make it herself anymore.

Thanks for the info, guys. I guess I'll just have to learn to like the kind you can get, after all.

--James

[missy]

there are many different cocoa powders. There are different ways of processing (dutch - milder flavor and color). Different amounts of fat. All the way to some that are artificially colored.

Hersey's is a good "middle of the road" powder. If you want to experiment, you may want to look at some of the European powders, or if you like a touch of cinnamon, you may want to try a Mexican import.

[Lambchop]

I'm wondering if you got the wrong product. There is powdered cocoa that is for inclusion in baked goods and there is powdered cocoa that has additives making it suitable for hot chocolate (just add milk). You can turn the former into hot chocolate, and if your mother had a recipe which added vanilla, sugar, and so forth, it might have been that she used the straight stuff. That's all they had in the olden days.

You seem to be describing baking cocoa, not "just add milk" stuff. Why don't you give it another try?

[peeplj]

Lambchop, thanks for the info! I'll look for baking cocoa.

Here's what I bought:

Hershey's Cocoa, natural unsweetened. Says "since 1894" on the label--maybe it just got too old.

Seriously, thanks for the info, everyone. Next time I'm in the store I'll see what I can find.

--James

[Lambchop]

Hmm, I think you might have gotten the right stuff, but it might not have matched what your mom used. Given what Missy said, I googled and discovered that you appear to have Hershey's . . . natural . . . variety. Hershey's also has a "special dark (Dutch processed)" version. That would be darker and more intense. Perhaps that's more like what your mom used?

Try googling "unsweetened cocoa powder." Several brands will come up.

This makes me want to make hot cocoa. Unfortunately, last Thanksgiving I discovered that I could make an impromptu chocolate mousse treat from heavy whipping cream, a dollop of Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa, some vanilla, and a wire whisk. It only took a couple minutes to fluff up, a happy cirumstance that facilitated experimentation in a search for the perfect mousse. I tried vanilla, almond, and even a little orange extract, as well as cinnamon and nutmeg. Sugar turned out to be optional, although brown sugar added a little interest. I had to go get more whipping cream for Thanksgiving. And still more after Thanksgiving so that I could perfect the product by Christmas.

When the Ghirardelli ran out, I decided it might be best not to buy any more.

[brewerpaul]

Ooh yeah, what Missy said: the Mexican stuff is delicious although it won't be what your Mom made. It has the aforementioned cinnamon and it's also pre-sweetened. Very nice stuff. It comes in a pressed disc that you break into appropriately sized portions.

[rebl_rn]

A good quality cocoa will make a difference I am willing to bet. I love Penzey's for all things in the spice world, including cocoa. Their
cocoa is on this page. They recommend the dutch processed for hot chocolate. I haven't made hot chocolate specifically with it but I have used it for other baking and it's really, really good. I can definitely tell the difference between theirs and the Hershey's. They also have a hot chocolate mix which is pretty good as well.

I also recommend their vanilla, their cinnamon, and just about anything else they make. Penzey's rocks!

[mutepointe]

I'm wondering if your tastes haven't changed. There are a few foods that I ate as a child that I considered perfection back then that when I taste them now, I wonder what the fuss was about. They taste like crap and chemicals. But this doesn't make so much sense with chocolate. It's not like you quit chocolate for 10/20 years or anything.

Maybe your Mom was spiking your hot chocolate to get you to go to sleep or something.

[dwest]

Peppermint schnapps will fix even the worst tasting cocao. Travels well in a thermos too.

[peeplj]

Playing around with different recipes, I've found one that comes pretty close. It still doesn't quite have the "oomph!" of what my mom used to make, but at least it's in the ballpark:

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup hot water
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Mix cocoa, sugar, water and salt in a saucepan. Over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture boils. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
2. Stir in the milk and heat, but do not boil. Remove from heat; blend well. Serve immediately.

Pretty good stuff. It'll do.

--James