Thousands of years before people ate chocolate in bar form, they drank it as a beverage! It was incredibly important in Mayan and Aztec cultures. This tradition lives across the world in the form of drinking chocolate. Every culture and place has one, from Central and South America to the Caribbean to Europe.

This Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating that rich history and culture with a drinking chocolate tasting! On February 12 from 3-4 PM ET, I’m leading a virtual tasting featuring three distinct drinking chocolates:

-Cocoa tea from One One Cacao. Many of you may have tried tea made with cocoa nibs or husks, but cocoa tea from the Caribbean is a different thing altogether. It’s a rich beverage made out of grated chocolate and spices in either milk or water, sweetened as you see fit, and it is DELICIOUS. We’ll send you one cocoa ball and directions on how to mix with milk and sweetener.

-Purple corn pinol from Cru Chocolate. In Central and South America, cocoa and corn have long been served together. Cru celebrates this with a traditional drink called pinol, which is made with a very special purple corn often used in ceremonies. Read a story I wrote about it here. We’ll send you one drinking wheel, and directions on how to mix with milk or water.

-Single-origin sipping chocolate from Fruition Chocolate. This mix makes a rich and creamy beverage similar to European-style hot chocolate. It’s made with cocoa beans from Oko-Caribe, in the Dominican Republic. We’ll send you a 10-ounce tin (enough for 10-12 cups), as well as directions on how to mix with milk.

I’ll lead us through a one-hour guided tasting of these three beverages. We’ll also be joined by Nick Davis of One One Cacao, who will tell us more about cocoa tea and Jamaican cocoa. Nick is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met, and it will be a real treat on top of our chocolatey treats.

Can’t wait to celebrate Valentine’s Day with you!