A Brief History of Chocolate Milk

The cocoa bean has been mixed with water and milk throughout history, but it wasn’t until the early 19^th century that a drink was developed that we would consider being the grandfather of modern chocolate milk.

Before the invention of the chocolate hydraulic press, developed by Casparus van Houten of Amsterdam in 1828, cocoa beans were ground (like coffee) and mixed directly with milk. This mixture was bitter, not easily dissolved in the milk and hard to digest due to the very high fat content of the cocoa bean. Van Houten’s press reduced the fat content of the bean to nearly half (by squeezing the oil out) and the product it created was easily formed into a powder that would dissolve much more readily into milk.

After van Houten’s patent for the press expired in 1838, other chocolate manufactures began to work with the newly created powder to enhance the taste of the chocolate. This opened the floodgates of many manufactures to begin mass producing chocolate powder to mix with milk to either make chocolate milk or hot chocolate drinks.

Once chocolate became less expensive (due to the industrial revolution and various new growing, shipping, and manufacturing process), chocolate milk really became a staple for many individuals throughout the developed world. Many of us grew up drinking this wonderful chocolate drink everyday at school, a pleasure we would not have if it weren’t for Casparus van Houten and his hydraulic press.

Coenraad van Houten (1801-1887)

Casparus van Houten's son who is also credited with the development of cocoa powder.

REVIEW 2: Country Fresh: Dutch Chocolate Milk

ABOUT THE PRODUCT

The Country Fresh: Dutch Chocolate Milk comes in pint size (16oz) and according to the label has two servings per container. I don't like this about the milks I have looked at because who really only drinks half the bottle? (A small complaint, I know.) Per bottle, not serving size, the milk has: 420 calories (140 from fat), 16g of fat, 70mg of cholesterol, 460mg of sodium, 54g of carbs, and 18g of protein. On the plus side, it has: 12% Vitamin A, 8% Vitamin C, 60% Calcium, and 50% Vitamin D (all percentages based off of one's recommended daily allowance).

The milk is made by Dean Foods, and is distributed by Country Fresh, LLC out of Flint, Michigan.

Ok, enough of the technical stuff...onto the review.

BENERIC'S THOUGHTS

As opposed to my first review, I had no complaints about the container and didn't have any trouble opening the bottle...so that's a plus.

I gave the milk a good shake, opened the lid and took in a whiff. The product had a strong chocolaty smell that I found to be pleasant. I have noticed in some other milks that there isn't much of the chocolate smell which always bothered me;Country Fresh didn't have that problem. I took my first swig and was surprised by the lightness of the chocolate taste and there was a slight "off milk" aftertaste that I did not enjoy. The aftertaste wasn't overbearing, but just a hint which actually disappeared on further drinks. One thing I really enjoyed about the product was its smoothness. The silky texture of the milk was very pleasing and there was zero chalkiness that some other milks have. I felt no residual clinginess on my teeth and the milk had a rich cream flavor that was also enjoyed. The only real complaint I have (other than the initial poor aftertaste), was the lightness of the overall chocolate flavor in the drink. I few more squirts of chocolate in the manufacturing process would have made the drink great overall.

7 out of 10 Utters

WHAT...I'm BACK?

I know it has been forever since I have posted on Coco Lactis, but without further ado, the site will be active again! I plan to actually dedicate sometime to this blog and I hope you enjoy the posts. Look for another review shortly.

-beneric

PHELPS KNOWS WHAT TO DRINK

Well it seems that the wonders of chocolate milk will never end. Here is a link to an interesting article about how chocolate milk is a great sports drink.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/24/health/webmd/main1342839.shtml

-beneric

INAUGURAL REVIEW

Here it is... the first review for Coco Lactis. Let me break down how this will work. I will choose a brand of pre-made chocolate milk, give a description, and rate it on a scale of "udders" (10 being udderly-delicious). That's it... pretty simple I know. Reviews are not the only thing this blog is about. We will cover various recipes as well as chocolate milk history, folklore, and whatever else we can come up with about this wondrous drink. Enough with the housekeeping; to the review.

REVIEW 1: "NESTLE NESQUIK CHOCOLATE MILK"

I decided to start off the reviews with this brand of milk because in our area of the country it is probably the easiest chocolate milk to find in stores. Every grocery and convenience store has Nesquik. This is the plain chocolate milk from Nestle (not the double chocolate or any of their others) so it seemed like a good place to start.

ABOUT THE PRODUCT

It comes in a 16oz bottle that doesn't seem to last very long when we drink it. Nestle says that it is "reduced fat with a 1/3 less fat than flavored whole milk"...I wonder what kind of milk they use (1% or 2% would be my guess). The whole bottle, not the serving size, has 380 calories, 10g of fat, 40mg of cholesterol, and 58g of carbs. Chocolate milk may not be the best drink for you, but who cares it's delicious. One good thing is that for all you vegetarians out there, the drink is gluten free.

REVIEWS

Beneric's Thoughts:

First i had a hell of a time getting the plastic safety seal off the lid. I understand the need for the seal but I don't want to fight with the bottle for 5 minutes before I enjoy my chocolate milk. Once you get the bottle open and all shaken-up the first taste is pretty enjoyable (make sure you have it nice and cold), but the more you get into the bottle a few issues show up. There is definitely a lightness in the taste from lack of chocolate flavor. When you look at the color of the drink you can assume that it's not going to be a real rich flavor, you would be right in your assumption. Also when I paused for a second to savor the taste I noticed that the milk seemed to stick to my teeth... it was very clingy. I expect milk to coat your mouth and throat when you drink it, but not refuse to let go of your teeth.

The drink was very smooth, no lumps, and it was refreshing. I think that it is a pretty good drink for a mass produced weak chocolate milk and I'm sure I will buy it again.

6/10 UDDERS

COMING SOON!

Chocolate Milk Lovers Unite!

Reviews and recipes for everything CHOCOLATE MILK.