Ingredients
Cocoa
- 2cocoa sticks, or 100 g pure cocoa paste
Liquid
- 600 mlwater
- 400 mlmilk or evaporated milk
Spices
- 2West Indian bay leaves
- 1cinnamon stick
- a strip of orange or lime peel
- a pinch of grated nutmeg
- a small piece of ginger, optional
Also
- sugar to taste
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tbspcornflour or flour, to thicken
- a splash of vanilla or almond essence
To serve
- hot at breakfast, with bread
Directions
- Grate it rather than chopping it, since fine shavings dissolve far more readily. It is hard and dense and grating takes a little effort.
- Bring the water to a boil with the grated cocoa, bay, cinnamon and peel.
- Boil it for ten to fifteen minutes rather than steeping it gently. It will look thin and separated at this stage, with oil on the surface, which is correct.
- Add the milk and reduce the heat to a bare simmer. Do not boil it hard once the milk is in, since milk boils over in seconds.
- Simmer for two or three minutes so the starch cooks out. Now the consistency it should have.
- Strain it before serving to remove the bay, cinnamon, peel and any gritty cocoa solids. Now serving it out while very hot.
- Serve it very hot in mugs, with bread on the side for dipping. It is a breakfast drink above all and it is substantial enough to be a meal.
Technique
- Cocoa sticks contain the whole bean with its butter, unlike cocoa powder.
- The bay used is West Indian bay, a different plant from Mediterranean bay.
- It is boiled rather than steeped, and thickened slightly with starch.
Substitutions
- Pure cocoa paste or unsweetened chocolate in place of sticks.
- Mediterranean bay used sparingly, accepting a different flavour.
Variations
- With ginger, which is common in Grenada.
- Made with water alone, without milk.
- With a splash of rum, for an adult version.
History
Grated cocoa sticks boiled with spice, milk and sugar, drunk at breakfast in an island where cacao grows wild in gardens.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cocoa tea?
Cocoa tea is a drink from Dominica: spiced hot drink grated from cocoa sticks. Grated cocoa sticks boiled with spice, milk and sugar, drunk at breakfast in an island where cacao grows wild in gardens.
How long does Cocoa tea take to make?
Cocoa tea takes 10 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 cups. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Cocoa tea?
Yes, within limits. Pure cocoa paste or unsweetened chocolate in place of sticks. Mediterranean bay used sparingly, accepting a different flavour.
What is the most important thing to get right in Cocoa tea?
Grate it rather than chopping it, since fine shavings dissolve far more readily. It is hard and dense and grating takes a little effort.
