DRIVE-BY DINING

Syrupy strategy

By Dog Davis
Special to The Times

February 24, 2005

My neighbors Mandy and Heather both have muscle-bound boyfriends, but I recently had something their boyfriends didn't: Starbucks' new Chantico drinking chocolate. My original intent was to offer them a comparison with hot chocolate. But Chantico is so rich and thick, it's almost like syrup. That's when it hit me.

In one hand, I held Chantico. In the other, a cup filled with pure, microwaved Hershey's Chocolate Syrup. How would they stack up?

*

LIQUID CHOCOLATE

Taste

Chantico ***

Mandy thought Chantico was little more than watered-down syrup. Heather distinctly preferred the Chantico, saying it was darker and more flavorful.

Hershey's syrup **

It's not intended to be served straight, but if you've got it in the fridge and no milk, you could do worse. Believe me, I've been a secret syrup-sucker for years.

Portability

Chantico ****

Starbucks has a 6-ounce cup for Chantico, sparing us the tall, grande, venti nonsense. Even at this size (and $2.65), I thought the portion could be reduced. Mandy and Heather disagreed.

Hershey's syrup ****

It comes in a 24-ounce squeeze bottle with an ingenious top that makes for easy pouring or right-from-the-bottle swigging. (And for $2.79, you get four times the chocolate.)

Diet Watch

Chantico **

Frankly, I was surprised that the Chantico had only 390 calories, 51 grams carbs and 21 grams fat.

Hershey's syrup **

A 6-ounce portion has 425 calories, and more than 106 grams carbs. But it is fat-free.

Hype-o-meter

Chantico ***

Starbucks is spending big bucks to convince us that Chantico, named for an Aztec goddess, is an exotic treat, even though it's at more than 8,000 locations.

Hershey's syrup **

Hershey's hasn't marketed its syrup as a form of drinking chocolate. Yet.



Winner: To say Chantico is only somewhat better than drinking straight chocolate syrup may not be a resounding victory, but it is what it is. If Hershey's is smart, it'll create a drinking chocolate recipe.

*

•  Ratings are on a scale of one (lowest) to four (best).