Chocolate Santafereno (Colombian Hot Chocolate with Cheese)

In Bogota, Colombia’s capital, chocolate Santafereno, also known as chocolate completo (complete chocolate), is a highly favored hot beverage. The custom is to dip slices of cheese into the hot beverage, which can then be eaten with a spoon while the cheese melts and absorbs the chocolate flavor.

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Usually, this beverage is served for breakfast along with Changua (Colombian egg breakfast soup) or at eleven o’clock with almojabanas and pandebono.

The classic Bogota version is made with a lot of froth, cloves, cinnamon, and either water or milk.

The history of hot chocolate in Colombia

For Colombians, chocolate is incredibly significant. As a nation that produces cocoa, its history of consumption extends back to pre-Columbian times.

The Aztecs were the first to enjoy it; they drank a holy concoction of water, spices, and roasted cocoa beans. The idea of consuming chocolate (without cheese at the time) spread from there.

Over time, the Spanish started adding sugar and vanilla to the chocolate drink because they thought it was too bitter. It gained rapid traction across Latin America and Europe.

Colombians started experimenting with chocolate back then as well, combining it with other well-liked regional goods like cheese.

While it’s unclear precisely when cheese entered the picture, it might have happened through other cheese-containing goods that are dipped into the hot chocolate like pandebono and almojábanas.

What cheese to use for chocolate santafereno

While it may be tempting to go for an extravagant cheese for this Colombian hot chocolate, a simple one is best. A simple white cheese tastes great.

Ideally, the cheese should be soft, creamy, and melt easily. A mellow cheese that will absorb the flavors and aromas of the hot chocolate.

For this recipe, I used mozzarella.

Choosing chocolate for Colombian hot chocolate

The chocolate found in Colombia for hot chocolate is pure chocolate, and not suitable for eating like any chocolate candy bar.

The harvesting of this fruit is the first step in making this chocolate paste. After removing the seeds that are covered with sweet pulp, they are fermented in wooden boxes. They are then dried and stored for aging and future use.

When the cocoa bean is dry, it is roasted, which intensifies the flavor and color. The shells are removed, leaving only the seeds ready to be ground.

Several brands grind in spices like cinnamon and cloves, which distinguish the Santafereno chocolate.

If the brand you buy already includes these spices, leave them out of this recipe.

For this recipe, you can either order some Colombian chocolate online like Luker Chocolate (affiliate link) (no sugar or spices added). Or, Corona Traditional Chocolate (affiliate link) (this brand has a variety – with sugar, and with or without spices), which comes in the form of breakable blocks, called pastillas or tablets.

Or you can use a premium bar with at least 70% cocoa content.

How to make traditional Santafereno chocolate

Traditional Santafereno chocolate is made in an aluminum pot called a chocolatera (affiliate link), and stirred with a special wooden whisk known as molinillo (affiliate link). With its bulbous bottom, the whisk is essential for slowly stirring the chocolate to foamy perfection, which is achieved by holding the whisk in both hands and rubbing them together. (Here is a quick video on how to use a molinillo to froth hot chocolate.)

When made with water, you’ll notice more sour notes to the hot chocolate. And, if you make it with milk, it will be creamy and sweeter.

Our recipe for hot chocolate with cheese

Our recipe is an adaptation, mainly because not everyone has a chocolatera, a molinillo, and Colombian chocolate.

Preferably, use whole milk for the creaminess. Simmer it with the spices and chocolate, and use a whisk to stir it.

I used sugar to sweeten it, but panela is another traditional sweetener.

If you want the traditionally frothy Colombian chocolate, pour this hot chocolate into a blender and blend for a few seconds before serving it.

While chocolate and cheese may appear to be an odd combination, it has a particularly special meaning for Colombians. They have a saying: chocolate without cheese is like love without a kiss.