The Good: Does not taste bad
The Bad: A lot of work to make, Environmental impact of the packaging, Utterly unremarkable flavor
The Basics: Pernigotti hot cocoa is depressingly unimpressive on the flavor front, which makes the extra effort one has to put into preparation injury that adds to the insult!
Locally, there is a nice little overstock store, which has been pretty awesome for me. I tend to find foods and products there that are incredible. Every now and then, they get in a random imported product and I feel excited to pick them up. One of the most recent ones I found was Pernigotti Hot Chocolate. Call me prejudiced, but I would have expected imported Italian cocoa to be good; sadly, it is mediocre on the flavor front, but difficult to make (without ruining). The result is a product that is impossible to recommend and one that I wouldn't buy again, should it ever arrive in my neck of the woods again.
Basics
The hot cocoa mix is part of the Pernigotti premium hot cocoa line. The mix comes in a 4 2/5 oz. box with five packages of cocoa. For a single mug of cocoa, this is affordable, but not cheap, especially when one factors in the additional cost of the milk which is required to make the cocoa.
Ease Of Preparation
The Pernigotti hot cocoa mix is a pain in the butt to make. While the portion is easy to measure - one packet is mixed with 110 ml of milk - the beverage is tough to make without risking burning it. 110 ml of milk is remarkably little, expecially in a saucepan, so while one is stirring vigorously to mix the cocoa powder with the milk, there is a pretty great risk of it boiling fast and burning. The cocoa powder and milk, while heated and stirred, reduces very fast into a thick chocolate fluid. Add milk to taste and stir until the two fluids mix and it forms the cocoa pretty fast.
Taste
The aroma of Pernigotti's hot cocoa is not overly strong of chocolate. This cocoa is harly aromatic and it is not very powerful or potent. The scent emanating from this cocoa is not so inviting as to tempt consumers with this beverage.
As for the flavor, the flavor of the chocolate is surprisingly light. The milk chocolate cocoa is like a diluted chocolate flavor; surprisingly dry and not overly sweet. In fact, the flavor is so mediocre that it almost makes one disappointed after all the effort that one puts into making it.
The Pernigotti cocoa has no real aftertaste to it.
Nutrition
Pernigotti hot cocoa mix is hot chocolate mix and therefore not the most nutritious thing in the world and the ingredients are almost indecipherable near the end of the ingredients list. The primary ingredients are sugar, giandula hazelnuts, and 22% cocoa chocolate powder. There is a milk derivative in this hot cocoa powder, so it is not Vegan compliant. It also contains soy and enough traces of peanuts to warrant an allergy warning.
What is not a mystery is how high this product is in sugars. In each cup of this hot cocoa, there are 114 calories. There are 3.8 grams of fat. There is no cholesterol in the Cocoa, but there is some Sodium. There is a little protein, but not enough to live off this. In other words, this product is not a nutritious food product.
Storage/Cleanup
So long as one leaves the Pernigotti Premium Hot Cocoa powder in its envelope, it ought to stay usable. I could find no expiration date on my envelopes, nor the boc.
Cleanup is very easy as well. If the product spills while dumping it into the mug, simply wipe it up or brush it up with a dry or damp cloth. If it has already been reconstituted with milk into hot cocoa, simply wipe it up. Light fabrics are likely to stain if this gets on them, in which case consult your fabric care guide to clean it up.
Overall
Pernigotti hot cocoa is disappointingly average, but with the added effort one has to put into it, it's just disappointing.
For other hot chocolate drinks, please visit my reviews of:
Land O' Lakes Raspberry And Chocolate Cocoa
Butterfinger Hot Cocoa
Forrelli Rich Chocolate Hot Cocoa
2/10
For other food or drink reviews, please visit my Food Review Index Page!
© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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