Hot new hot drinks

There’s an unjust hierarchy in the food and drink world: Bovril lords it up in both the condiment and beverage camps while Marmite remains forever just a spread. How so? Who by? And why? Shouldn’t salsa have a shot at being soup? What if Tabasco makes a tip-top toddy? 4Food starts a kitchen revolution and delves into the pantry to liberate the condiments.

Caramilk
First up, caramel sauce – bought in giddier times to sit atop ice cream, but realistically there’s only so much sugar-and-butter sauce you can justifiably spoon into your mouth before the self-loathing kicks in. In a drink though, it’s a different story. Two generous tablespoons stirred through warm milk looked like a milky tea and tasted like pure heaven. Along the hot chocolate angle, only better.
Perfect for: Curling up on the sofa; kiddies’ sleepovers.

Jam toddy
Jam’s an underrated foodstuff; past elevenses it’s back to the fridge with the fruity little number for another day of neglect. Joke’s on you, kitchen killjoy. I popped a big blob of jam in the bottom of a mug, added enough boiling water to make a paste, then topped up with hot water and lo and behold I’d made myself a berry nice cuppa. If you’re using the good quality stuff that’s packed with fruit, you might have to do a bit of strawberry fishing but if anything that’s a bonus and warm sugary fruit is really quite lovely.
Perfect for: Reviving the spirit after a hearty ramble, especially if you add a glug of whiskey.

Bisto tea
On the face of it Bisto is the most obvious condiment to convert; after all, you’re supposed to add it to hot water. But a quick sip of the beefy beverage put flight to any ambitions the gravy granules might have harboured of challenging Bovril to the meat-in-a-mug crown. Adding milk made it look like strong coffee but didn’t improve the powdery protein flavour.
Perfect for: Pouring down the sink.

Cheesy milk
Cheese sauce – can that be a drink? What about a very milky cheese sauce? There’s only one way to find out. Heat milk, add grated cheese, stir and reheat. There was a bit of cheese sediment but nothing that couldn’t be solved by a quick pass through a sieve leaving behind a strong, satisfying cheesy draught. Is it a drink? Is it a soup? Does it matter? It’s bloody lovely.
Perfect for: Comfort food in a cup.

Caramilk recipe
Serves 1

Ingredients
250ml milk
2½ heaped tbsp caramel sauce

Method: How to make caramilk
Heat the milk in a pan or microwave on full power for 1 minute. Stir the caramel sauce into the hot milk.

Jam toddy recipe
Serves 1

Ingredients
2 heaped tbsp jam
250ml freshly boiled water
25ml whiskey (optional)

Method: How to make jam toddy
Spoon the jam into a mug. Add enough hot water to make into a paste. Add water to taste and stir well. If you’re feeling naughty, pop in a shot of whiskey, but do please drink responsibly.

Cheesy milk recipe
Serves 1

Ingredients
250ml milk
25g Cheddar cheese, grated

Method: How to make cheesy milk
Heat the milk in a pan or microwave on full power for 40 seconds. Take the pan off the heat and add the grated cheese. Return the milk to the heat and stir well. Alternatively, microwave again for 10 seconds. Strain through a sieve to remove any cheesy sediment.

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