Starbucks' Latest Conquest

Starbucks' newest contribution to the American "coffee" repertoire is the forthcoming Chantico, a hot chocolate drink named after the Aztec goddess of the hearth. Analysts say Starbucks may be hoping the drink will increase traffic in their stores at midday and after dinner--you know, snack time.

Mexican hot chocolate as it exists today is a mix of the ancient indigenous recipes and additions from the Spanish conquistadores. It's made with Mexican chocolate (a varying mix of ground cacao beans, sugar, cinnamon, almond, and sometimes vanilla) blended with hot water or milk. Many Mexicans, especially those in states with large indigenous populations such as Oaxaca, prefer to make their chocolate with water, as called for in the pre-Hispanic recipe.

Starbucks' nod to chocolate? Cocoa butter steamed with whole milk (no confirmation on whether whipped cream will come standard). According to Starbucks, a 6-ounce cup of Chantico is expected to contain 390 calories, 21 grams of fat, and 51 grams of carbohydrates.

Note: Starbucks' equivalent of size small--"tall"--measures 12 ounces, not 6. A large--"venti" in Starbuckspeak--weighs in at 24 ounces. Should the Chantico be available in all sizes, well, you can do the math on how many Weight Watchers' points a "venti" cup of the stuff will eat up. (For the calculator-deprived: that's a yummy 1560 calories, 84 grams of fat, and 204 grams of carbs. What a snack.)

The Chantico (guess the Aztec word for hot chocolate--Xocolatl--didn't score well with the focus groups) arrives in stores January 8, just in time to kill off millions of New Year's diet resolutions.