A rich and deep hot chocolate, barely sweetened to let the cocoa's bitterness speak, whisked until frothy as was done in Parisian households.

Why this dish? Fin-de-siècle Paris was the city of cafés where symbolist poets and musicians mingled; thick hot chocolate, served in a cup, was the drink of the salons and terraces frequented by the composer.

Ah, chocolate! There is a civilized drink, to be sipped slowly, at that troubled hour when day hesitates. They made it thick for me, almost grave, barely sweetened — I hate drowning things in sugar, it is vulgar. I loved it in those cafés where we discussed Mallarmé's verses while watching the rain fall on the boulevard. Whip it well, let it foam: a drink without foam is a melody without nuance.

How it was made : At the turn of the 20th century, hot chocolate was drunk in Parisian cafés and salons, often thicker and less sweet than today. It was whisked with a moulinet to make it frothy; it was a drink of sociability as much as indulgence.

The contemporary twist : Serve in a dark cup with a single slice of French toast on the saucer — for dipping, as if at a terrace.

Claude Debussy · Charactorium