Thomas Keller K+M Classic Hot Chocolate

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

This bean-to-cup hot chocolate is Keller and Manni’s innovative chocolate bars in drink form. This classic hot chocolate is blended in Napa Valley, California, and is a very cozy drink, with intense chocolate flavor. Rich and creamy, it has a light nuttiness.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

The Thomas Keller K+M Classic Hot Chocolate is a lush drink that is perfect for chilly nights. Top it with some marshmallows or whipped cream, cozy up with a book or a movie, and enjoy it with some donuts or sugar cookies.

COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION

K+M is an innovative collaboration between two minds, that of Thomas Keller and Armando Manni. These two men have made their names in the culinary world, and this collaboration is yet another very deserved feather in their already well-decorated caps.

Thomas Keller is the first and only American-born chef to get three stars from the Michelin Guide. He is a giant of American cuisine, and currently heads The French Laundry, the famous restaurant in Napa Valley, California.

Armando Manni has forged a reputation in Tuscany for his premium, super-antioxidant Italian extra-virgin olive oils. He developed the “Live Oil” process with the University of Florence and the National Council of Research in Italy. This process makes Manni EVOO the only oil to maintain its quality and taste for three years, and also gives it higher levels of antioxidants than other olive oils.

Together, Keller and Manni spent five years crafting a unique and innovative chocolate. In collaboration with the University of Florence, they developed a new method that preserves the antioxidants in the cocoa beans (traditional chocolate making can cause up to 60 to 80 percent loss). The result is a delicious and complex chocolate with an unparalleled silky quality, with all the full potential of the cocoa bean.

Storage Instructions

Store your chocolates in a cool, dark place, ideally between 18 to 24°C. You can use the refrigerator, but place the chocolate in an airtight container to keep the moisture and humidity out — and retain its full range of flavors, of course!