Comments on: The Surprisingly Manly History of Hot Cocoa

By: Porcelina

Porcelina — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:35:22 +0000

I, being Mexican-American, prefer my Abuelita brand hot chocolate the best. Although, it IS a bit of an acquired taste. The kids certainly don’t like it that much.

By: Callie

Callie — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 02:21:54 +0000

I’ll take two.

By: Jon

Jon — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 05:00:25 +0000

Speaking as a Soldier, there’s nothing unmanly about hot chocolate. We use it all the time during field exercises or to keep Soldiers warm during guard duty. My brew of choice is one packet instant mixed into one cup of industrial-strength black coffee. Works like a charm!

By: Native Son

Native Son — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:50:31 +0000

With all the interesting comments concerning the issue of cocoa, one was overlooked. The Royal Navy & the Royal Canadian Navy escort ships had cocoa issues during the night watches. Imagine being on an OPEN ship’s bridge at night during a North Atlantic winter. The cocoa issue is mentioned in numerous writings about escort duty in those services.

By: P.M.Lawrence

P.M.Lawrence — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 04:33:01 +0000

Actually, cocoa growing was introduced to West Africa in the 19th century by certain Quaker families – notably Fry, Cadbury and Rowntree – to help displace the slave trade by providing a viable alternative source of revenue. So their role in this was far more humanitarian than that last comment might suggest.

By: Peter Kirsop

Peter Kirsop — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 06:35:49 +0000

The trade in cocoa also shows why free trade is amoral.

In the early part of last century Cadburys purchased their cocoa from the Portugese colonies of San Tome, where it was grown and harvested by what was called “contract labour” but which to the Cadbury family’s knowledge- after receiving reports from buyers William Cadbuy visited San Tome in 1905 was a form of slavery; people were seized from villages, marched up to 2000 miles to the cocoa fields and set to work. The Cadburys purchased cocoa there because it was cheaper than from the British colony of the Gold Coast (now Guinea), where the Colonial Office enforced some labour standards. The Cadburys supported free trade in the Daily News of which paper they owned a half share. The Cadburys were exposed by artciles in the Evening Standard, a paper that supported “Imperial Preference” partly because by doing so, the working man’s conditions of employment could bd protected.

The Cadbuy family were unwise enough to sue for libel In a cross examiniation by Sir Edward Carson William Cadbueywas forced to admit the family’s knowledge and that they purchased cocoa from San Tome because it was cheaper. Carson’s closing question is still a model for cross examination
CARSON: Have you formed any estimate of the number of slaves who lost their lives in preparing your cocoa from 1901 to 1908?
WILLIAM CADBURY: No, no, no.

Source Chocolate On Trial:
Slavery, Politics, And The Ethics Of Business L J Satre Ohio University Press

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 18:02:28 +0000

Wow! That was an amazing article. Thank You for all of your hard work and research. I really learned a lot.

By: Emerson

Emerson — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 05:42:19 +0000

Hello Brett,
Thanks for the great article and insight on a wonderful drink that has lost it’s view of Manliness. As usual, your articles tend to have good timing, as I recently learned about a drink called Choffy. It’s essentially hot chocolate that’s brewed like coffee by grinding the beans and brewing it in a french press. Their website has more info but I thought it would be of interest to you and others. Merry Christmas!
*I left out the website but you can find it by googling choffy and it should be the first result.

By: P.M.Lawrence

P.M.Lawrence — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 06:00:39 +0000

I make mine by stirring together the right amounts of full cream milk powder and a decent drinking chocolate, then adding hot water and stirring. It saves on the washing up.

One recipe I haven’t tried is, boil a little water in a pan, stir in a dollop of marmalade, grate in a few dollops of decent cooking chocolate to taste (i.e., no added sugar or milk solids – I imagine cocoa nibs would be even better), then stir in maybe three times as much full cream milk while it all simmers (no boiling by this stage). Navy cocoa used something like this without the marmalade and with condensed/evaporated milk, finished off with a shot of rum.

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 01:00:02 +0000

Great article! Can’t wait to get home and have a cup.

My favorite adult additive? Pepperment Schnapps (We call them snugglers)