While wandering the streets of Times Square during my New York City trip, my mother informed me that she booked us a table at a restaurant called Serendipity. 

Being sleep deprived and overwhelmed by the amount of advertisements surrounding me, I shrugged and pulled the directions up on my phone. 

Fast forward to the two of us sitting on a tiny marble table, with our feet practically touching each other, holding menus that were similar to ancient scrolls. 

I suggested to my mother that we get a frozen hot chocolate to share. Did I want to get my ketchup and pickle hot dog? Yes, but I refrained from ordering a $20 frozen hot chocolate all for myself on top of that. 

When the hot chocolate came as our appetizer, I was shocked by the sheer size. Who would’ve thought that a drink could come in the shape of a bowl?

I put a red straw into the drink, being careful not to upset the balance and have whipped cream overtake the hot chocolate. 

I took a sip and immediately strayed into childhood memories of winter, when I felt that the world only existed in my hometown.

In my mind, jingle bells ring while carriage horses are galloping across snow-covered cobblestone roads. I’m eight, holding my mother’s hand with snowflakes falling onto my eyelashes.

The mix tasted smooth, and I couldn’t resist gulping the drink down in 10 minutes flat, leaving my mother with little to work with.

It seemed that the only thing that stopped me was receiving a massive foot long hot dog that could barely fit on my plate. 

Even then, the drink stayed in the back of my mind. After taking so many sips of the hot chocolate, I decided to get down to business and take a spoon to try the whipped cream covering. 

To nobody’s surprise, the whipped cream was creamy and light. The chocolate shavings that were sprinkled throughout were the perfect mix atop the already delicious creation. 

Whenever I mention my discovery to friends, they all share the same confused expression.  “What exactly is frozen hot chocolate?” they ask. “What’s the difference between that and a chocolate shake?”

At the mention of this question, I never know what to say. My default response is to just mention that the “hot chocolate mix” is featured in frozen hot chocolate, and then leave it at that.

However, even I know how ridiculous that statement sounds. I feel that I’m representing frozen hot chocolate in a bad way. Why would I want to have a powdery mix in my drink when I could have something that is unabashedly delicious?

Frozen hot chocolate is a feeling. Hot chocolate is something that is an intense source of nostalgia. It reminds people of happier memories, of being children locked away sipping a cup while under the ornament-filled tree.

Or maybe it reminds someone of ordering hot chocolate while walking around looking at Christmas lights with their first love. Or what a grandma used to make for all the cousins after sledding. 

Frozen hot chocolate puts a modern spin on something universally loved. We are able to express independence while still maintaining our childhood, just through a tiny sip. 

Hinz can be reached at [email protected]