Hot Takes on Hot Chocolate
Marlow Hurst gives us the rundown of USYD’s best hot chocolate.
Hot chocolate has come so far over the years. Said to have been originated from the Maya culture, hot chocolate was actually served cold and was made using ground cocoa seeds, cornmeal, chillies and a range of other ingredients.
Following the colonisation of South America by the Spanish, cocoa was brought to Europe and by the 17th century sweetened hot chocolate was blazing across the continent like wildfire. All of that leads us to now- 2021, Camperdown campus, with money in our wallets and a body yearning for the sweet embrace of hot choc.
So here are the top 5 campus hot chocolates ranked from best to worst.
Ralph’s - Sweet and decadent
Truly the pinnacle of the art form. Ralph’s serves up a delectable Italian hot chocolate that’s thick, rich and packed full of flavour. Perfect for cold winter mornings when you want to warm up as they do on the continent.
Cost: $3.80
2. Forum Cafe - Spice and smoke
Nestled in the F23 building, Forum’s chilli hot chocolate marries both kinds of heat in a harmonious union. Chilli brings in a whole new dimension of flavour and elevates the chocolate to new heights. Probably the most bitter beverage on this list, Forum’s spicy swig is a refined and elegant take on an old classic. If you want to drink as the Uni admin does, hop on down to F23’s Forum cafe.
Cost: $4.50
3. Taste Baguette - Festive flavours
I was honestly expecting very little from Taste. They do excellent baguettes, but surely, I thought, they wouldn’t make good hot chocolates as well? Well, I was wrong. Creamy, foamy, and with some aromatic spice present from top to bottom, Taste really bag-gets how to make a hot chocolate. I sensed nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamon - a veritable symphony of spices. Topped off with generous froth, this hot chocolate was indeed a pleasant surprise.
Cost: $4.10
4. Courtyard - Thank you, next
Truly a disappointing experience. The only thing which separates this from no.5 is that Courtyard’s hot chocolate was a bit frothier. A small comfort considering that I detected the foul presence of Cadbury’s powdered hot chocolate mix. Watery, bland, and thoroughly disappointing. But tragically, Courtyard’s hot choc encapsulates the standard we experience these days. A standard to which I hope this article will bring attention.
Cost: $3.90
5. Fisher Coffee Cart- Avoid. Save your money
For a cafe with the word cart in it, it’s no surprise that Fisher served up the most disappointing of the bunch. Similar to Courtyard in composition, yet the execution left much to be desired. I wish I had more to say, but some hot chocs don’t warrant discussion.
Cost: $3.90
So there we are! The five main campus cafe hot chocolates ranked and dissected. I hope this helps all you hot choc hounds out there get the best bang for your buck!