Growing up in Haiti, hot chocolate was a classic for breakfast or supper. I loved it, and still love it to this day. Whenever I’m making it, the smell of chocolate envelop the house, and I am filled with a nostalgic feeling. But no matter how good Haitian hot chocolate is, in my opinion, it’s even better with Haitian bread. To me they are like hydrogen and oxygen coming together to give water; you can’t have the drink without the bread. As a kid I used to put soft cheese in the bread to eat with the chocolate.
Do you prefer hot chocolate or coffee??
Ingredients:
1 ball of Haitian chocolate
4-5 cups of water
12 oz of evaporated milk
2 sticks of cinnamon
3 star anise
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon (a pinch) of salt
Let’s get started!
Before we get started, you might be wondering where to get Haitian chocolate. Well, I usually get mine from my family coming from Haiti, or just buy it at a Haitian grocery store in my community. It is not common online, but I did find an etsy store that sells it. Click on the image below to see your options at getting some.
In a large pot on medium/high heat, add water, cocoa ball, cinnamon sticks, star anise, salt and let it come to a boil. Once it starts boiling, whisk the chocolate around until all of it has dissolve in the hot water.
The next step is to add the milk and sugar to the cocoa mixture. Mix them in and let it boil for about two minutes, then turn off the heat. Once the heat is off, add the tablespoon of vanilla extract and mix it in the hot chocolate.
Put a strainer over a big bowl, and strain the hot chocolate. Careful not to make as much of a mess as I did in the video. I wasn’t being careful enough. And then your chocolate will be ready.
Serve hot with some warm Haitian bread and you’ll be in chocolate heaven.
Thank you for your time
Enjoy your drink
