A hot, thick, fragrant drink, beaten to a froth with a molinillo, sweetened and spiced with cinnamon: the great fashion of European courts in the time of Louis XIV.

Why this dish? La Fontaine frequented Versailles and the salons. Chocolate, a novelty from Spain launched at court by the queens, was all the rage during his lifetime. This exotic and elegant drink evokes the fashionable world he breathed.

They now greatly praise this beverage from the West Indies that the ladies of the court take from morning. I confess I tasted it out of curiosity more than greed: you thicken it over the fire, you sweeten it, you grate a little cinnamon into it, then you beat it with a molinillo until it foams like the sea. It is bitter and sweet together—very fashionable, and said to awaken the sleepy mind. Mine could use it.

How it was made : Chocolate arrived in France in the 17th century via Spain and became established at court, especially with Anne of Austria and then Marie-Thérèse, wife of Louis XIV. It was prepared thick, sweetened, and spiced (cinnamon, sometimes orange blossom water), beaten with a stirring stick called a *molinillo*. It was a luxury drink reserved for the elite.

The contemporary twist : Serve in a small porcelain cup with frothed milk and a cinnamon stick, as "Versailles chocolate."

Jean de La Fontaine · Charactorium