How to Make Real Colombian Hot Chocolate (Yes, With Cheese in It)

Colombian hot chocolate is not cocoa powder stirred into milk. It is a tablet of ground cacao, sugar and spice melted into hot liquid, whipped until it foams, and — in most of the country — served with a piece of fresh white cheese sitting in the bottom of the cup. It takes about eight minutes and it is one of the easiest ways to make a Colombian kitchen smell like home.

What you need

• Chocolate de mesa — the tablets or bars sold in boxes, usually scored into segments. Some are plain, some come with cinnamon and clove already blended in.
• Milk or water. Milk gives a richer cup; water is the more traditional everyday version in many regions, and lets the cacao flavor come through.
• Fresh white cheese — a mild, firm, slightly salty cheese that softens without dissolving.
• Optional: a cinnamon stick, a clove, a pinch of salt, a splash of vanilla.
• A molinillo (the wooden whisk) or an olleta — a small whisk or an immersion blender works fine.

The method

1. Heat the liquid. Bring about 1 cup (240 ml) of milk or water per serving to a bare simmer with a cinnamon stick if you are using one. Do not let it boil hard.
2. Add the chocolate. Drop in one segment of chocolate de mesa per cup — two if you like it strong. Stir until it fully dissolves; it takes a minute or two.
3. Whip it. This is the part people skip and it is the part that matters. Spin the molinillo between your palms, or whisk hard, until the surface turns thick and foamy. Foam is what separates real chocolate santafereño from a sad mug of chocolate milk.
4. Add a pinch of salt. Not enough to taste salty — just enough to sharpen the cacao.
5. Cheese in the cup. Put a few cubes or a thick slice of fresh white cheese in the bottom of each mug and pour the hot chocolate over it. Let it sit for a minute so the cheese starts to soften.
6. Eat the cheese last, with a spoon. Salty, melted, slightly chewy cheese in sweet spiced chocolate is the entire point.

Getting it right

• Cheese that won't melt into strings. You want a fresh, firm, mild cheese — not mozzarella and not anything aged and sharp. It should soften and hold its shape.
• Don't boil after adding chocolate. Hard boiling makes the cup grainy and can scorch the sugar.
• Too thin? Add another segment rather than more time on the heat.
• Grainy texture? The tablet needed more stirring, or the heat was too high. Whisk longer at a lower temperature.
• Sweeten with panela instead of white sugar if you want a deeper, more caramel note. Panela and cacao belong together.

What to serve with it

Hot chocolate is a breakfast and an early-evening drink in Colombia, not just a dessert. The usual companions:

• Pan de bono or almojabanas straight out of the oven
• Arepas with butter and cheese
• Buñuelos, especially in December
• Wafers, bocadillos or plain crackers for dipping

The December version

During the Novena de Aguinaldos — the nine nights leading up to Christmas — hot chocolate is what keeps a house full of visitors going. Make it in a large pot, keep it just below a simmer, and re-whip before each round of pouring so every cup gets foam. Set out natilla, buñuelos and hojuelas next to it and you have the whole tradition on one table.

Where to get the ingredients

We import chocolate de mesa, panela, Colombian coffee and the rest of the pantry directly from Colombia and ship nationwide from DeLand, Florida — same-day dispatch on orders placed before 3:00 PM EST. Stocking for a store, cafe or bakery? Open a wholesale account or email sales@jeta-imports.com for case pricing.