Gusta Dark Hot Chocolate Mix box 10 sachets
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Gusta dark hot chocolate sachets detail
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Gusta dark hot cocoa serving
Lombardia

Gusta Dark Hot Chocolate

4.625 reviews

Dark cioccolata calda (Italian hot chocolate) from Lombardia. Four ingredients, served thick.

$25.97

Purchase type
  • Stone-ground cocoa (34%), Milanese tradition
  • Ships from our New York warehouse in 1-2 days
  • Free shipping over $75
A wood-paneled Italian cafe with a brass urn, marble bistro table, and a cup of thick hot chocolate beside biscotti.
Place
Lombardia stretches from the Alps down to the Po Valley, with Milan at its center. The city has served cioccolata calda in its historic cafes since the 19th century, built for cold continental winters when temperatures drop near freezing and the fog settles over the plain for weeks. Thick chocolate, eaten with a spoon, is what Lombardia's winters ask for.
Hot chocolate streaming from a stone mill into a glazed earthenware bowl in a sunlit workshop.
Process
Cocoa nibs are stone-ground until they release their cocoa butter, forming a smooth paste. Corn starch sets the texture when heated with milk. No gums, no artificial thickeners: 34% cocoa, heat, and starch are all it takes.
A man scooping cocoa powder from a linen sack into a tin canister on a marble counter.
People
We work with the family in Lombardia who has made cioccolata calda the same way for two generations. They use a short ingredient list and a high cocoa percentage, the same approach as the historic Milanese cafes. We taste each batch before it ships.

What's inside

Ingredients
Sugar, cocoa powder (34%), corn starch, salt. No artificial flavors. No gums. No preservatives.
Certifications
  • Made in Italy
  • Gluten-Free
  • Zero Additives
Contains
No major allergens declared. Gluten-free.

How to use it

Empty 1 sachet into 1/2 cup (120ml) of whole milk. Heat over medium, whisking, until thick and steaming, about 2 minutes. Pour into a teacup and eat with a spoon. For a thinner drink, stop heating at 90 seconds.

This is what we make on cold nights. The spoon is not optional.

Pairs with

From the recipe book.

Cook a

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The rest of the pantry

Questions

  • Why is it so thick?
    That is the point. Cioccolata calda is Italian hot chocolate: something you eat more than drink. The corn starch is there by design. If you want it thinner, heat it for less time.
  • Can I adjust the thickness?
    Yes. More time on the heat equals thicker. Under 90 seconds equals drinkable. Half a cup of milk is the starting ratio; a splash more lightens it.
  • Is it dairy-free?
    Yes. The dark version contains no milk or dairy ingredients. The milk is what you add to prepare it.
  • Is this made from cocoa powder or melted chocolate?
    Cocoa powder. The cioccolata calda tradition uses high-percentage cocoa powder with corn starch as the thickener. No chocolate bar is melted into it.
  • How long does it keep?
    Sealed sachets: cool, dry place, 12 or more months. Prepared and refrigerated: drink within 2-3 days, reheat on the stove while stirring.
  • Is the mix complete, or do I need to add anything?
    Just milk. Heat and stir. Everything else is in the sachet.
  • How is this shipped?
    From our New York warehouse via Amazon fulfillment. In-stock orders ship in 1-2 business days. Free shipping over $75.
  • What if it arrives damaged or I don't love it?
    Write to us. We refund within 60 days, no questions.
  • How do I know this is really from Lombardia?
    We source from the family in Lombardia who makes this line. Made in Italy is on every box. If you want more detail, write to us.

Reviews

Six Italian regions. Nothing reformulated. Imported direct.