A bit of History
Long before it appeared in bar form, chocolate was a sacred, social, and political beverage. From Mesoamerican temples to European courts, cocoa was first consumed hot,infused, sometimes spiced. Over the centuries, the ritual of drinking hot chocolate has evolved in both taste and meaning, while preserving its distinctive and symbolic nature.
Among the Mayans and Aztecs: A Divine Beverage
In pre-Columbian civilizations, cocoa was consumed as a bitter, frothy, unsweetened drink. Prepared from ground beans, water, and chili, it was reserved for religious, military, and royal elites. For both Mayans and Aztecs, cocoa was a source of energy, a ritual medium, and a marker of social status. It was poured from one vessel to another to create a precious foam.
This hot chocolate had nothing sweet about it,it was intense, often blended with maize, flowers, or local spices. It accompanied ceremonies, births, alliances, and sacrifices. A codified beverage, rich with meaning.
At the Spanish Court: Sugar, Cinnamon, and Power
Following the conquest of Mexico, the Spanish brought cocoa to the royal court in the early 16th century. They quickly adapted the recipe: chili was replaced by cane sugar, vanilla and cinnamon were added, and the mixture was heated with milk or water to create a smooth, refined drink.
Hot chocolate became an aristocratic privilege, served early in the morning in porcelain or silver cups. At the court of Versailles, it was enjoyed by the queen and her confidantes; in Madrid, it accompanied political breakfasts. It was praised for its digestive, aphrodisiac, energizing, and even diplomatic, properties.
An Aristocratic Art of Living
By the 18th century, hot chocolate had become more than a drink, it was a ritual, a sign of refinement. “Chocolatières,” elegant pots specially designed for cocoa, became symbols of status. The service of chocolate followed precise etiquette. It was also a marker of global awareness, colonial wealth, and intellectual sophistication. Tea, coffee, and chocolate formed the social trinity of enlightened salons.
And Today?
Hot chocolate has outlasted the democratization of solid chocolate. While often simplified in its industrial versions, it is once again honored by select artisans: prepared from melted dark chocolate, with dairy or plant-based milk, sometimes spiced or infused with citrus, it is re-emerging as a drink for slow tasting, rooted in tradition, yet resolutely modern.
Orfève’s Approach
At Orfève, our drinking chocolate is made from our own defatted cocoa, obtained by pressing in our workshop.
No flavorings, no industrial powders, no additives, only carefully selected beans, fermented, roasted, and processed entirely in-house.
This liquid format extends our usual standards: honoring origin, mastering every step of transformation, and offering a faithful expression of cocoa, even beyond the bar.