Ten-year anniversary of Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival sees new sips, return of old favourites
Credit to Author: Aleesha Harris| Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2020 19:00:59 +0000
When it comes to hot chocolate, Rhonda May is a self-described purist.
“An ascetic monk kind of purist,” she admits a bit sheepishly. “I’m happiest with a simple slab of good quality, dark chocolate melted in milk or hot water. And that’s it.
“No toppings — not even sugar!”
The admission may seem unremarkable, that is, until one learns that May is the founder of the popular Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival.
The annual event, which is in its 10th year, sees more than 40 vendors around Vancouver put their imaginative spin on a classic steaming hot cup of cocoa, and has been known for out-of-the box offerings including Bohemian Raspberry from Earnest Ice Cream, The Bee’s Knees from 49th Parallels Coffee and Happy Birthday Cake from Butter Baked Goods.
“The Hot Chocolate Festival invites small, indie businesses throughout the Greater Vancouver region — chocolate stores, bakeries, patisseries, cafes, coffee shops, ice cream and gelaterias, etc., — to make fanciful, limited-edition hot chocolate drinks that they can offer to the public during January and February, while at the same time supporting city-based charities that aid women, children and families,” May summarizes of the festival. “By pooling their efforts under the festival banner, these local artisans get to showcase their talents as well as promote their brands to a much larger audience than they could reach on their own.
“It also provides income — ‘bums-in-seats’ as they say in the trade — and jobs during a time of year when the food industry traditionally experiences its slowest season.”
While the idea of a decorated mug of hot chocolate may not be her cup of, well, cocoa, May is well aware that there is a different taste that’s sure to appeal to everyone.
“It takes all kinds to make a world, and other people have their own ideas of what is ‘perfect’. That’s why I try to make sure there is a dream hot chocolate out there for every kind of person,” May says. “If you are a simpler-is-best type like me, a voluptuary, a health nut, a revolutionary, an artist, a mom, a hedonist or a masochist, there’s a hot chocolate on our list for you.”
May carefully vets the list of festival hopefuls — she says she receives far more interest from cafés and eateries than she allows to participate — in order to ensure there is a rich diversity of flavours in the mix from local vendors, and a high standard of quality. This means that the more than 100 flavours on offer through the festival aren’t your average powdered mix-and-stir concoctions.
“The mandate for the festival is to promote small, local business, so although many larger companies have kindly offered to join in, we do keep this objective in mind,” May says. “After that, we favour candidates in areas of Vancouver that are not being well-served by the festival or companies whose drinks bring something different, imaginative and adventurous to the table. Most of all we look for strivers — businesses that have high standards and a true dedication to what they produce, whether that be the city’s best cup of coffee, ice cream cone or sourdough loaf.
“The one thing in common that they must all have, however, is high-quality ingredients. Cheap, commercial-quality powders or syrups are forbidden.”
The higher standards, she says, keep the drinks delicious, if a bit more pricey than your “average chain-café fare.” Though festivalgoers don’t seem to let that deter them.
“I had originally expected a celebration of hot chocolate to appeal only to a small group of chocolate fanatics, but it seems to hold an appeal for nearly everyone,” May says of the event’s continuing popularity. “In the beginning, we had about seven participants offering about 20 drinks between them, but today the membership has grown to 44 vendors and the drinks now total well over 100.”
This year’s event will see the return of several “blast-from-the-past” favourites from the festival’s 10-year run — yes, including the viral sensation the Don’t Bug Me from Mink Chocolates, which sees a mug of 54-per-cent cacao oat milk hot chocolate garnished with “Canadian-farmed, organic, gluten-free, non GMO, free range, whole roasted crickets,” according to the festival website. Mink Chocolates will also be offering a $98 chocolate beverage (dubbed The Legend of Daryl Hannah) during the event, for those who truly want to indulge.
The full list of drink offerings and highlights on offer throughout the festival, which wraps up Feb. 14, will be listed on the festival website, hotchocolatefest.com. And the event’s social feeds, including @hotchocolatefest on Instagram, will be updated regularly with festival news, May says.
So, which of the specialty sips will prove most popular during this year’s festival? According to May, it’s anyone’s guess, really.
“You know, I can never predict this,” May says. “I always think, ‘Oh, that one is going to be popular,’ or, ‘This one may be a tough sell,’ but I’m wrong every time.
“Who knew that a hot chocolate covered in dried grasshoppers would be a big hit — but it was! Then again, like it or not, it’s a venue where social-media platforms like Instagram can be a big influencer, and sometimes a drink can really capture the imagination of the public merely because of how compelling it looks in a 2 1/2-inch square.”
Bugs and all.
RECIPE: Aloha Macs Hot Chocolate
Created by: Honolulu Coffee
35 g (1.23 oz.) Fleur de Cao 70% Dark Chocolate
85 g (3 oz.) 10% half-and-half cream
85 g (3 oz.) Milkadamia macadamia milk
2 tsp. (10 mL) macadamia syrup
2 g (.07 oz.) roasted macadamia nuts
Method
Simmer the half-and-half cream in a saucepan.
Pour hot cream over chocolate and whisk into a ganache.
Steam the macadamia milk to 155 F and pour over ganache with macadamia syrup. Mix well.
Sprinkle crushed macadamia nuts on top.
Enjoy with aloha!
Makes one.
RECIPE: ‘Yin’ Earl Grey Hot Chocolate
Created by: Origo Club
1/4 cup (175 mL) Avalon organic whole milk
1/2 cup (75 mL) Rishi Aromatic Earl Grey Tea
1 oz. (30 g) 70% Dark Chocolate Valrhona féves
1 oz. (30 g) 55% Dark Chocolate Valrhona féves
Method
Steam milk and steeped Earl Grey tea together.
Using a splash of milk/tea mix, melt dark chocolate féves.
Blend with a hand blender.
Pour into an eight-ounce latte mug, top off with rest of steamed milk.
Using a stencil of yin-yang (using the ‘yin’ side), shave 55% Dark Chocolate Valrhona on top.
Makes one.
RECIPE: ‘Yang’ Yuzu Blond Hot Chocolate
Created by: Origo Club
1 cup (250 mL) Avalon organic whole milk
1.23 oz. (35 g) 32% Chocolate Valrhona féves
1/2 oz. (14 g) Yuzu White Valrhona féves
Method
Steam milk.
Using a splash of milk, melt the blond chocolate and Yuzu white féves.
Pour into an eight-ounce latte mug, top with rest of steamed milk.
Using a stencil of yin-yang (using only the ‘yang’ side), shave 32% Blond Chocolate Valrhona on top.