Cheese And Hot Chocolate? The Combo Is Not As Crazy As You Might Think

There are times when cheesy is a good thing. Think hamburgers, lasagna, and French onion soup, where the sight, taste, and smell, of gooey, slightly oily cheese oozing turns an ordinary dish into something sublime. Then, there's bad cheesy. Think 1960s B horror movies, some reality television shows, and almost anything that's been over decorated. So, when you add bits of cheese to your hot chocolate, is it the good kind or bad kind of cheesy? Many, especially those in Colombia, Panama and Puerto Rico, where the combo is regularly enjoyed, would undoubtedly say that it's the good kind of cheesy.

In Colombia, cheese and hot chocolate is known as chocolate santafereño or chocolate completo. It is similar to cafe con queso, in which coffee is blended with cinnamon and cloves and some cubes of queso campesino. For the hot chocolate, Colombians add bars of dark bitter chocolate –- also flavored with cloves and cinnamon –- water, and milk to a metal jug called a chocolatera. Using a wooden device that's a cross between a whisk and a mallet called a molinillo, the mixture is heated and brought to a boil three times. The already rich, warm beverage is then poured in mugs over a mild, salty cheese like queso campesino, queso doble crema, or queso Oaxaca. People spoon up the cheese while drinking the hot chocolate or eat it with a slice of bread.

Hot chocolate has always been a special treat in Latin American cultures –- a tradition many now enjoy in the United States. In addition to those who try to emulate Mexican hot chocolate at Starbucks, there are many Puerto Ricans and Panamanians who love to showcase their family favorites on Tik Tok and Instagram, using Gouda, cheddar, and other sharp cheeses.

What people enjoy is the balance of the salty cheese with the sweetness and richness of the hot chocolate and the blend of textures. If you're interested in trying it out, try pairing the cheese with the type of chocolate you're using. Strong cheeses like Gouda or blue cheese will work better with dark, unsweetened chocolate, while a light cheese like chèvre would pair better with a sweeter, milder chocolate. 

Not surprisingly, the French, who enjoy butter with everything, add it to their hot chocolate. If adding cheese or butter to your hot chocolate is a step too far, the one ingredient for extra rich hot chocolate you should consider is sweetened condensed milk. Or, if you want to try making chocolate completo at home, you buy a bundled chocolatera and molinillo from Imusa on Amazon.