I have been to Spoleto three separate times. The first was with Spoleto Study Abroad in 2011 as a Creative Writing student. The second was in 2012, again with Spoleto Study Abroad, but this time I did more intensive, solo creative writing study and added cello instruction as well. The third time was in 2016, as a college student studying abroad for 6 months in England.
Many mornings my first summer in Spoleto, I would stop at the café in the Piazza Mercato on my way to morning classes to get a cioccolata calda (hot chocolate). My friends would get a cappuccino or some other coffee drink, but I—the chocoholic who hated all things coffee flavored—opted for the slightly sweet and rich cup of hot chocolate. Italian hot chocolate is usually less sweet than American, and much thicker and richer, almost the consistency of pudding.
My second summer in Spoleto, I spent many mornings on my own, writing in my journal, and sipping a cup of cioccolata calda at my go-to café. Cristina, the young woman who worked at the café, spoke fluent English and always remembered my order. We became friends over those many quiet mornings, as I asked her about her family and her life in Spoleto, and I told her about Spoleto Study Abroad and how I wanted to be a writer one day.
Four years later, I returned to Spoleto with four friends in tow—friends whom I had made while studying in England. I proudly showed them the aqueduct, the convent, the Sacred Wood atop Monte Luco, and of course, my favorite café. I was shocked to see Cristina still behind the counter when I entered the café again for the first time in years. Even more surprising and heart-warming was the fact that she remembered me. When I ordered my obligatory cioccolata calda, she smiled widely and laughed.
There were so many memorable moments doing Spoleto Study Abroad, but my hot chocolates with Cristina definitely are on the top of my list.
Want to try a cioccolata calda yourself? Here’s a recipe for Italian hot chocolate!
Cioccolata Calda (makes 2 servings)
2 cups whole milk
3.5 oz dark chocolate, 70% cacao
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp powdered sugar
Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces. Place the milk on low heat. In a bowl mix together cocoa, cornstarch, and powdered sugar. When the milk is hot (but not boiling), add the cocoa, cornstarch, and sugar mixture and start stirring quickly, avoiding forming lumps. Once bubbles form on the surface, add the chocolate and mix until thick and creamy. The cornstarch will thicken it, but make sure to take it off the heat once it just started to thicken. (It will thicken more after it’s removed anyway).
Pour it into mugs and serve warm. Enjoy!
And remember, if you want to sip an authentic cioccolata calda in Spoleto, you can! Applications for Spoleto Study Abroad’s student summer programs close February 1, so there is still time for you to join us. If you see Cristina there, tell her Calley sent you!
— Calley Mangum, Spoleto Study Abroad alum