You know those "once you go X, you never go back" expressions?
This umami hot chocolate is sort of like that. I know it's an odd combination: mushroom powder and mustard and garlic with chocolate? Completely bat-bleep crazy. In fact, I can't even promise that you'll enjoy the first sip. When I first experimented, I couldn't tell if I loved it or hated it when I first did a mini test.
But then the power of the umami blend kicked in: a savoriness and warmth that tickled my tongue and made me take another taste. Now, I'm officially obsessed.
If you're someone who enjoys earthy drinks like chai or matcha, I ask that you give this a try. You may never go back to regular hot chocolate!
UMAMI HOT CHOCOLATE
Servings: 1 person
Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup & 2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I'm sure milk or another type of milk substitute would work just as well)
2 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp umami blend seasoning
Sugar to taste
Directions:
Heat the one cup of almond milk on the stove, stirring to avoid scorching;
In the meantime, add your cocoa powder and umami blend into a mug and add the 2 tbsp almond milk. I used the umami blend from Trader Joe's, but I'm sure that any brand would work;
Stir well to create a paste, making sure that there are no cocoa powder lumps remaining;
Once the almond milk has reached proper hot cocoa temperature, add it to the mug and mix together;
Add the desired amount of sugar -- I used two Splenda packets;
Enjoy!
