Hot chocolate and cocoa are two kinds of one drink. The division between them is rather arbitrary, it is just that usually hot melted hot chocolate is called a hot, viscous melted drink without milk, and cocoa is sweet and liquid with the addition of milk.
Cocoa preparation
Cocoa contains three ingredients - cocoa powder, sugar and milk. In some cases, if, for example, you are allergic to milk, you can replace it with water, but this will affect the taste of the drink. Spices can be added to cocoa to make it taste more interesting. Most often, nutmeg, cinnamon, pink or black pepper and other spices are used for these purposes. You can add a little cocoa butter or even a piece of chocolate to the cocoa to make it taste more intense. You can add the yolk of a quail egg to the finished drink, this will help to cope with cough and sore throat, and will also make the taste of the drink softer.
Cocoa can be prepared in any suitable saucepan. It is very important that the sugar has time to dissolve completely during the preparation process, therefore, in some cases, the drink can be kept on fire for a longer time, this will not affect its taste in any way. According to the basic recipe for one serving, you need to take 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder, 250 ml of milk and sugar to taste, usually 2-3 teaspoons. First you need to grind the cocoa powder with sugar in the selected saucepan, at this stage you need to add the selected spices, then you need to pour in a few tablespoons of hot milk and stir well, getting rid of the lumps. When the mixture becomes homogeneous, add the rest of the milk to it and cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Cocoa is considered ready when the sugar is completely dissolved, usually it is enough to bring the mixture to a boil.
Recipe options
If cocoa seems too sweet and "baby" drink to you, try changing the recipe. Take two tablespoons of cocoa powder per serving and skip the sugar. Cocoa brewed in milk without added sweeteners has a rich bitter taste, to add to the drink "chocolate", add a little dark chocolate to it, it is best to grate it, then it will completely melt in a hot drink.
To bring cocoa closer in taste and consistency to hot chocolate, take more sugar (up to 4 tablespoons) for 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. This drink is ideal for sweets and chocolate lovers, it is very high in calories, so it is best to drink it for breakfast to recharge the body with energy for the whole day. This strong cocoa is not always liked by children, but most adults will.
