Kumika no Mikaku

So.... all this discussion about hot chocolate made me realize that I've never made hot choc for myself EVER.... like, my entire life I've had someone else make me that stuff. This got me thinking about making my own hot chocolate. Went to grocery store and got a can of powder. Well, turns out it's totally unsweetened. So now I wonder if this is some difference in country preferences? A lot of people here seem to come from places where cocoa powder is sold already sweetened, but in my case turns out it's not. I did figure out later that imported cocoa powder is sold sweetened.

 

When I say preference, I mean in the way the product is sold. Here we always drink sweetened hot chocolate, but we need to add sugar or honey to the cup first because apparently the powder itself is sold bitter.

There is cocoa powder, which is unsweetened chocolate powder used for cooking/baking. You can make hot chocolate using milk, cocoa powder and sweetener (sugar/honey).  There is mixes of sweetened cocoa powder that you can add to hot milk.

Then there is "instant hot chocolate" which is a mix of cocoa powder and powdered milk and sugar that you can just add hot water to.  (Like cup of ramen).
Also, there is chocolate syrup, which is a combination of chocolate and sugar (or corn syrup) and is a fluid and can be added to milk, whether that milk is hot or cold.

There are other forms as well, like using sweetened chocolate bars.  The cocoa stick is new to me.
 

... cavity-inducing helicopters. what will they think of next.

you mean diabetes-inducing helicopter

JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE DONE HAVING A VANILLA OVERLOAD KUMIKA MANAGES TO BE CUTER THAN THE PAGE BEFORE THIS AUTHOR IS A MADMAN

... cavity-inducing helicopters. what will they think of next.

So.... all this discussion about hot chocolate made me realize that I've never made hot choc for myself EVER.... like, my entire life I've had someone else make me that stuff. This got me thinking about making my own hot chocolate. Went to grocery store and got a can of powder. Well, turns out it's totally unsweetened. So now I wonder if this is some difference in country preferences? A lot of people here seem to come from places where cocoa powder is sold already sweetened, but in my case turns out it's not. I did figure out later that imported cocoa powder is sold sweetened.

 

When I say preference, I mean in the way the product is sold. Here we always drink sweetened hot chocolate, but we need to add sugar or honey to the cup first because apparently the powder itself is sold bitter.

For the way we make hot chocolate, we use something called a cocoa stick, which is made of compressed cocoa beans. We then use cinnamon, clovers, some flour and nutmeg. 

So.... all this discussion about hot chocolate made me realize that I've never made hot choc for myself EVER.... like, my entire life I've had someone else make me that stuff. This got me thinking about making my own hot chocolate. Went to grocery store and got a can of powder. Well, turns out it's totally unsweetened. So now I wonder if this is some difference in country preferences? A lot of people here seem to come from places where cocoa powder is sold already sweetened, but in my case turns out it's not. I did figure out later that imported cocoa powder is sold sweetened.

When I say preference, I mean in the way the product is sold. Here we always drink sweetened hot chocolate, but we need to add sugar or honey to the cup first because apparently the powder itself is sold bitter.

Goddamn this is so cute I think I'm gonna die from smiling.

Green peppers are like spinach for Japanese kids, even in one of recent Pixar movies they changed child's dish for Japanese version.

i wonder if there is such a thing as unsweetened hot chocolate, that could be pretty nice. like black coffee

 

i can see the possible pitfall since it doesnt have that roasted flavour that allows for pure black coffee to be good but there has to be a way to do so

Mexicans have their own version of hot chocolate that is not sweeten. They've had it for centuries because they had cocoa but no real sugar source. Its very easy to look up recipes. I personally prefer it to hot chocolate.

They're good raw with the right kind of accompanying veggies/fruits in a salad with some dressing and coldcuts.

I've gotten used to eating them raw, but it's not something i prefer. Stir-fry green bell peppers are my fav

Man, I love peppers. I won't say I can eat them raw, but any other way they're absolutely delicious.

They're good raw with the right kind of accompanying veggies/fruits in a salad with some dressing and coldcuts.

I can never understand why so many manga characters think green peppers are incredibly bitter. Do these people just die if they drink black coffee?

It would be extremely painful. 

i wonder if there is such a thing as unsweetened hot chocolate, that could be pretty nice. like black coffee

 

i can see the possible pitfall since it doesnt have that roasted flavour that allows for pure black coffee to be good but there has to be a way to do so

Just mix unsweetened coco powder with hot milk.  Its not an obscure product, its used in a lot of savory dishes or in deserts where you need to better control the sweetness.  Its in the baking aisle.

I can never understand why so many manga characters think green peppers are incredibly bitter. Do these people just die if they drink black coffee?

Its the Japanese equivelant to American brussel sprouts.  Its supposed to give them a somewhat childish appearance because its usually kids that won't eat them.

I can never understand why so many manga characters think green peppers are incredibly bitter. Do these people just die if they drink black coffee?

Man, I love peppers. I won't say I can eat them raw, but any other way they're absolutely delicious.

Uh, actually?  Yes it is.  Honestly, could we get real here? 

Yes, it is possible to make cocoa with no sugar.  But nobody who isn't a total self-conscious health freak or major hipster or something ever does so.  If the Aztecs had had sugar, they probably would have put it in too.  But sugar cane comes from Asia and sugar beets from Europe and honey bees were introduced to the Americas by Europeans, so they couldn't.  As soon as the two substances came together it was a match made in heaven and nobody sensible has ever looked back.

I am a massive chocolate fan.  And I like it dark and fairly bittersweet on average.  But unsweetened hot chocolate is not a thing.  Not in North America, not as near as I can make out in modern Mexico, not in England, France or Spain that I know from direct experience and probably not in the rest of Europe.  And apparently not in Japan.  Maybe a few isolated individuals drink it that way for whatever perverse reason, but certainly not enough to be making broad claims like that.

Doesn't matter if we're talking crappy hot chocolate powders or hot cocoa or hot chocolate made by melting chocolate into the hot milk, they're all sweet.

i wonder if there is such a thing as unsweetened hot chocolate, that could be pretty nice. like black coffee

i can see the possible pitfall since it doesnt have that roasted flavour that allows for pure black coffee to be good but there has to be a way to do so

Uh, actually?  Yes it is.  Honestly, could we get real here? 

Yes, it is possible to make cocoa with no sugar.  But nobody who isn't a total self-conscious health freak or major hipster or something ever does so.  If the Aztecs had had sugar, they probably would have put it in too.  But sugar cane comes from Asia and sugar beets from Europe and honey bees were introduced to the Americas by Europeans, so they couldn't.  As soon as the two substances came together it was a match made in heaven and nobody sensible has ever looked back.

I am a massive chocolate fan.  And I like it dark and fairly bittersweet on average.  But unsweetened hot chocolate is not a thing.  Not in North America, not as near as I can make out in modern Mexico, not in England, France or Spain that I know from direct experience and probably not in the rest of Europe.  And apparently not in Japan.  Maybe a few isolated individuals drink it that way for whatever perverse reason, but certainly not enough to be making broad claims like that.

Doesn't matter if we're talking crappy hot chocolate powders or hot cocoa or hot chocolate made by melting chocolate into the hot milk, they're all sweet.

I was making a joek

the guy underneath me got all mad about how "real" coco isn't sweet and how the Japanese are delusional in a manga about feeding an alien and well... well...

well, cmon...

Am I the only one who adores Kumika's designs? Quite reserved, yet adorable on her =03. Its especially nice that the artist draws different outfits for her in the different chapters =03. 

Seems pretty cute.  I gotta say though, when it comes to alien lasses with prehensile head-tentacles, she's got nothing on this lovely lady.

Haha, I'll admit, checking this manga out randomly, the artist's style did remind me of that series =03(which is why I read it). I thought it was drawn by the same person, until I checked after reading of course.

Why do her ears remind me of an umbreon's?

Aww they're so cute, so many smiles to protect mmm...