I was in the middle of eating a nice batch of Ikura this evening when I realized no one had checked the mail today. So I ran to our box and waiting was a box in the shape of a cube. It was from New Mexico, so I knew what it had to be.

The packaging was at the same time professional and remarkably cottage-industry. The outer packing was fancy golden foamed stuff that looked like it could be from the NASA space shuttle. Inside it were three pouches contained within a humble large Ziploc bag, which I kept for future use.

On top was a sweet postcard from the company thanking me for the purchase. Handwritten, it was the sort of touch most chocolatiers miss. The packages are cute and I believe each has enough drinking chocolate for six cups of hot chocolate. Directions include mixing 3 ounces of hot water with two teaspoons of the chocolate mix.

Following Coater's flowing praise, I chose the Chili. On the back I noted its second biggest ingredient is coconut sugar. I had never heard of this before, requiring me to inquire about what it is. From a few articles online it seems it is essentially just another type of sugar made from coconut sap. It has just as much sugar as granulated sugar. In preparation for Front Day I have been in ketosis all week, and have dropped 15 pounds in the process, so I was wary to try any due to the sugar. But I did the math and weighed the mix, and the most possible carbs it could contain were 9 grams. I can deal with that as my carb intake today was 0.

I microwaved the water and then put it in a Max Brenner Hug Mug and added the mix and stirred. The pellets are reminiscent of the Nescafe coffee mix widely used in the United Kingdom. I always take tea when offered tea or coffee while in the UK, partly because they use Nescafe almost exclusively in the home, but mostly because I do not drink coffee at all. And whenever biscuits are offered, I always ask for Tunnock's teacakes, the best tea accompaniment in the world.

The first sip was biting and sweet. I liked it. The more I drank it, however, the zippy, peppery flavor began to overpower it. While it had a subtle undertone of sweetness, the chili powder within definitely muscled its way to the front of the flavor queue. I will offer it to some of our guests at this year's Front Day festivities on Saturday, but will do so with a warning. This is not your typical, sweet and cuddly drinking chocolate. This is a spicy, kick in the mouth. Be prepared.

Yours,
TulaneLSU