Foodie Feature: Chocolate Water

I was flipping through YouTube videos, and came across a Jamie Oliver beverage channel.  I don't really know how, since I wasn't searching for anything related to him.  Anyway, this guy was making cold brew chocolate water.  And why not?  We add fruit & veggies to amp up the flavor of water, so it seems fitting that someone would simply add cacao nibs.  One of my favorite flavored water companies, metromint, makes a cocoa-mint water that is really good and refreshing, so this is sort of a play on that I suppose. 

I decided to give it a try, and must say that I'm quite pleased.  The taste is a light cocoa (depending on your water-to-cacao nib ratio) with a slightly bitter finish.  I'm not a huge fan of bitter, so I added a little cinnamon & sugar to my drink.  Tossed it in the microwave for a couple of minutes, and done! A relatively guilt-free hot chocolate.  You can add virtually anything to it, and it to anything.  It's a nice replacement if you're making a dessert that calls for water (and chocolate won't ruin it), and you can indulge by adding your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk, sweetener, whipped cream, etc.  Just remember to filter the water through a paper towel or cheesecloth.  Nobody likes gritty drinks!

Recipe:

1/2 c. Cacao Nibs (unsweetened)

32 oz.  Filtered Water

This is the brand I used, since it was on sale. 
Image courtesy of navitasnaturals.com

Cacao nibs.  Image courtesy of
navitasnaturals.com

Using a spice grinder or mortar & pestle, break up the cacao nibs.  You want them to be coarsely ground; we aren't going for a powder.  Once you have a coarse grind, add them to your container.  I used a mason jar, but really anything will do.  Next, add your filtered water.  That's it!  After you've finished, it becomes a waiting game.  Yes, it will look like murky water, but looks are deceiving with this one.  When I opened the jar and took a whiff, a wonderful cocoa aroma filled my nostrils.  I couldn't wait to experiment with all different types of drinks & foods.  What a fun way to channel some creativity!  I really encourage you to play around with the ratio to suit your taste.  Hopefully you enjoy this as much as I do.  It's simple and easy, which is sometimes, exactly what we need.  Oh, the little things in life.  What will you do with your chocolate water?

The end result.
Looks are so deceiving sometimes!

Reminds me of the Orbitz drink
(that really needs to make a comeback). 
Photo doesn't do it justice. 
It definitely looked better in person.

Stay beautiful!