Is cocoa tea really tea or is it hot chocolate? Or, is it a little bit of both?

Well... tea is prepared from tealeaves while this particular tea is not.  

The origins of cocoa tea can be traced to St. Lucia, situated in the Caribbean. However, even though it is not actually a tea, it bears a very close resemblance to tea as it contains a cinnamon stick and a bay leaf. The stick and leaf are kept immersed in water, just the method by which tea is prepared.   

The time-honored method of preparing cocoa tea may include water, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Besides, additional flavors may be added like nutmeg and cinnamon. In the good old days, floured dumplings were also included so that the beverage becomes more filling.  

A simple recipe requires a cocoa stick, milk, water, sugar for sweetening, cinnamon, a bay leaf, vanilla, and cornstarch. The bay leaf and the cinnamon are added to water and boiled. It is best to boil these ingredients for about ten to fifteen minutes. Put in the cocoa stick. Boil for a further five minutes. Next, add the milk and the sugar. Slowly stir in the cornstarch and bring to boil once again. Every now and then, stir to prevent lumps from forming. Lastly, add vanilla essence and serve. To lower calorie intake, use soy or skim milk and an artificial sweetener instead of sugar.  

Cocoa tea is a filling, appetizing beverage and can be relished either in combination with a meal or as a dessert. It has a distinctive taste and is not as strong as hot chocolate. However, it is the closest to hot chocolate that any beverage can get.  

Cocoa has many beneficial aspects. It contains antioxidants that ward off cancer, heart disease as well as minimizes the effects of aging.  

Now, cocoa tea is in fact not the regular tea nor does it even come close to it. Nevertheless, it is a lovely, appetizing beverage, which can be had for breakfast, or lunch or supper. It can be best indulged as a dessert delicacy or a taken in combination with the main course. In addition, you can have cocoa tea along with dumplings, which are quite wholesome.  

According to recent studies, tea, chocolate and red wine has many beneficial properties and hence holds a lot of promise. It is believed to be good to start the day with a mug of cocoa tea, to savor a cup of hot tea in the afternoons and to round off the day with a glass of sparkling red wine. In this way, you will tend to derive from all the three drinks, their respective health benefits.  

Now, cocoa plants are actually small trees and they contain seeds that are cracked open and cleaned. Then the seeds, which are very bitter tasting, are left to ferment. Later, the seeds are roasted, broken, and then ground. It is heated to dissolve the fat and generate cocoa liquor that can be formed into chocolate. Then cocoa is extracted by pressing out the fat. Subsequently, by treating the dry powder, cocoa is produced.  

If you wish to try something unusual and special, then cocoa tea is the right choice. It is a remarkable, tasty beverage!