Victory Garden- Hot Chocolate Heaven!
By Jennifer Shanteau
If you’re looking for authentic Mexican hot chocolate in New York City, look no further than this quaint little gem of sweet treats, Victory Garden, found on Carmine Street in the village. Sophia Brittan, whose roots lead to Mexico, sources her chocolate from people she met in Oaxaca while visiting her aunt. This is as authentic as it gets.
If you’ve not been lucky enough to know anything beyond Swiss Miss, you’re in for a treat, as well as a lesson in Latin culture. This is not your average American powder in an envelope, found in a dusty box on your grocery store shelf. This is actual, real chocolate. I admit, having a Colombian boyfriend clued me into this secret years ago. However, the first time I learned how real hot chocolate was made, I was both astounded at the simplicity and deliciousness, and horrified that it had taken decades for this information to be imparted to me.
Think of all those years wasted drinking that crappy, chemical laden, packaged chocolate flavored beverage, when I could have been indulging in authentic, pure, real deliciousness. All those cold Michigan winters could have been so much better! I vow to never have my only daughter ever have to ponder this.
On my visit to Victory Garden, I had the distinct pleasure of having Ms. Brittan give me a personal demonstration. She took one of the adorably packaged Oaxacan chocolate discs, put it into hot water and mixed using a special implement called the molinillo, until it transformed into a melted, frothy chocolatey beverage right before my eyes.
And guess what? You can do this yourself in the the comfort of your tiny New York apartment that you don’t want to leave once winter finally hits, because she sells the chocolate discs as well as the molinillos right there in her store! Just grab a jar and some hot water and you’re there!
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She also sells house made Cinnamon Marshmallows, caramel sauce made with goats milk from Fat Toad Farm, various delectable desserts, and even lotion and soap made from goats milk.
You would think her Goats Milk Frozen Yogurt locally sourced from from Side Hill Acres in Candor, New York wouldn’t be that popular in the winter, but business is a boomin’. With a product made from only the highest quality ingredients, and with flavors you’ve never had and will never have anywhere else, such as Afghan Saffron and Cardamon, Rosemary Chocolate and Apricot Lavender, I can see why! There is even a hot chocolate flavored yogurt. I tried it! It’s delicious!
If the fact that its made from goats milk, not the usual cows milk, makes you nervous, don’t be. It tastes only slightly tangier, and is so much healthier for you, though it definitely does not taste healthy in the least. Good news if your lactose intolerant! You finally have a frozen treat you can enjoy without regretting it later. There are several benefits to indulging in goats milk products instead of the typical cows milk, and they are listed on Victory Garden’s website. Ms. Brittan should know. She graduated from not only the French Culinary Institute, but also the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. So trust me, you’re in good hands.
The next time you are in the city and your sweet tooth is calling to you, make a b-line to Victory Garden, and satisfy your longings for both sweetness and culture…..a guilty pleasure without the guilt!
[…] Click here for a review on their Hot Chocolate. […]