Hot chocolate is a beverage well known to any year, young or old. Also known as hot cocoa or just cocoa is a heated beverage with shaved chocolate or cocoa powder added with heated milk or water and sugar. Hot or cold chocolate is also a nutritional drink.. A study conducted found that one glass of hot chocolate contains more than 1 gram of antioxidant and was used medicinally to treat ailments such as stomach diseases.
The first chocolate beverage is believed to have been created by the Mayan peoples around 2000 years ago, and a cocoa beverage was an essential part of Aztec culture by 1400 AD. The beverage became popular in Europe after being introduced from Mexico in the New World, and has undergone multiple changes since then. Today, hot chocolate is consumed throughout the world and comes in multiple variations including the very thick cioccolata densa served in Italy, and the thinner hot cocoa that is typically consumed in the United States.
