Hot Drinks for Cold Weather

Dec 21, 2015

You may enjoy drinking hot chocolate when the cold weather heads in, but you may not be aware of all the different traditional hot drinks that are enjoyed around the world! Depending on where you live, some of these drinks might by hard to find, but they're all pretty tempting nonetheless.

Atole

Atole is a traditional Mexican drink, the chocolate version of which is often served during the Christmas season.
Ingredients include masa, which is a type of corn flour. Atole also usually contains vanilla and cinnamon. All the ingredients are blended together, heated, and served!
Chocolate or fruit flavorings can also be added to give the drink a special twist.

Chocolate atole is traditionally served at Christmas time. Courtesy of noshon.it

Cioccolata Calda

This drink, from Italy, is the hot chocolate to put all hot chocolates to shame. It's basically liquid chocolate!
Instead of using cocoa powder as the base, this drink is actually based on shaved dark chocolate. Milk and sugar are also added, with corn starch to thicken the drink up a bit.
This is a lux version of your standard hot chocolate, and it's great because you can easily make it at home.

Cioccolata calda is like a chocolate bar in a mug!Courtesy of diete-tic.it

Matcha

Matcha is a drink originally from Japan. It's made from finely ground green tea, which is then typically mixed with milk and sugar.
If you are particularly health conscious, you've probably heard of or tried matcha or plain green tea before. Green tea contains antioxidants, which are excellent for your immune system. Green tea can also supposedly increase your ability to focus!
One warning: matcha, like all forms of green tea, is caffeinated. If you're interested in trying it, ask your parents first and only have a little bit.

In North America, matcha is often served in latte form. Courtesy of healingthebody.ca

Sbiten

Sbiten is a traditional Russian drink, dating all the way back to the 12^th century!
This drink is made with a base of honey and water, which are mixed with spices like nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. Some recipes even call for blackberry jam to add a little extra flavor and sweetness.
All the spices in sbiten make it flavorful, and its sweet ingredients complement those tasty flavors. This would be a delicious one to make at home!

Sbiten is warming and delicious!Courtesy of icuzine.com

Everyone needs a little warming up when it gets cold outside, and these hot drinks can certainly make for a cozy winter afternoon with family or friends. Feeling adventurous? Try putting one of these drinks together on your own!