Cacao, Raw Chocolate, Food of the Gods or What You Will

Cacao is still relatively new to the raw food scene and a very welcome addition it is too! If carob hasn’t quite hit the choc-spot for you, then cacao, or its brother cacao powder (raw chocolate powder) very likely will – especially considering that cacao is what commercial chocolate is made from.

And while there may be a lot of people in the raw food world thinking/ feeling that raw cacao is just as addictive as the cooked stuff (they may be right.. I have my own suspicions!), for those that want to find a great way to satisfy the chocoholic in them, then this is where it's at - minus the milk, sugar and all the other nasties that most believe is chocolate...

What is Cacao?

Cacao, also known as “cacao pod”, is the fruit of the cacao tree, a small and handsome evergreen tree growing in South America and the West Indies which grows 12 to 25 feet high (less than 25 feet if being cultivated). In 1753 it was named Theobroma meaning “food of the gods” by Carl von Linnaeus, the 18th-century Swedish scientist who developed the plant and animal Latin categorization system.

Cacao Facts

• The cacao tree bears its leaves, flowers and fruit (cacao pods) all the year round.
• The cacao pods are usually egg or melon-shaped, measuring 5 to 12 inches long and 3 to 5 inches wide.
• The pods start off as golden-red to purple in colour, turning brown at maturity.
• The beans rattle inside the pod when shaken also showing that the fruit is ripe.
• Each pod generally produces 20 to 40 almond-shaped cacao beans. They are about 1 inch long, reddish-brown on the outside, dark-brown on the inside, and imbedded in a whitish, sweetish, buttery pulp. Rather interestingly, if they are separated from the pod they soon become infertile, but if kept inside they retain their fertility for a long time.
• From fertilization to harvesting the fruit requires 5–6 months. Harvest season lasts about 5 months.

Preparation

Once ripe, the pods are cut from the tree, cut open and allowed to mellow on the ground. The beans are allowed to ferment so that they may be more easily separated from the shell. After fermentation the beans are dried in the sun (or sometimes in a steam drying shed) at which time they change from purple to brown. Beans are then bagged and shipped. Further processing includes roasting, crushing, and separating out the kernel, grinding the nibs and extraction of about half of the fat.

Uses

• Cocoa is prepared by grinding the beans into a paste between hot rollers and mixing it with sugar and starch, with some of the fat being removed.
• Chocolate is prepared in much the same way, but the fat is retained.
• Raw cacao is sold as whole beans or as “nibs” which are effectively cacao beans broken down into smaller pieces and with the skin removed. It tastes slightly sweet yet also slightly bitter and is delicious on its own or used in recipes, although some may find the taste overpowering initially if eaten alone.

Nutritional Properties

Raw Cacao Nutritional Facts:
Serving Size: 1 ounce (= ¼ cup or 28g)
Calories 160, Fat 11g (of which Saturated Fat 4g), Sodium 30 mg, Carbohydrate 14g, Fibre 9g, Sugars 3g, Protein 1g, Vitamin C 42mg

Magnesium
Cacao is remarkably rich in magnesium and seems to be the number one source of magnesium of any food. This may very well explain why women crave chocolate before or during their menstrual period. Magnesium balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, and is associated with creating more happiness. Magnesium is the most deficient major mineral on the Standard American Diet (SAD) - over 80% of Americans are chronically deficient in magnesium.

Stimulant or Superfood?
Cacao contains subtle amounts of caffeine and theobromine. However, experiments have shown that these stimulants are far different when consumed raw than cooked.

MAO Inhibitors
Cacao seems to diminish appetite, probably due to its monoamine oxidase enzyme inhibitors (MAO inhibitors) - these are different from digestive enzyme inhibitors found in most nuts and seeds. These rare MAO inhibitors actually produce favourable results when consumed by allowing more serotonin and other neurotransmitters to circulate in the brain. According to Dr. Gabriel Cousens, MAO inhibitors facilitate youthening and rejuvenation.

Phenylethylamine (PEA)
Phenylethylamine (PEA) is found in chocolate. PEA is an adrenal-related chemical that is also created within the brain and released when we are in love. This is one of the reasons why love and chocolate have a deep correlation. PEA also plays a role in increasing focus and alertness.

Anandamide (“The Bliss Chemical”)
A neurotransmitter called anandamide, has been isolated in cacao. Anandamide is also produced naturally in the brain. Anandamide is known as "The Bliss Chemical" because it is released while we are feeling good. Cacao contains enzyme inhibitors that decrease our body’s ability to breakdown anandamide. This means that natural anandamide and/or cacao anandamide may stick around longer, making us feel good longer when we eat cacao.

How to Eat Cacao

Good news for health seekers who are trying to avouch commercial chocolate and the like - cacao is a versatile food and can be used in many delicious ways!

• Try eating them straight, a teaspoon at a time. Chew thoroughly and experience the taste extravaganza of raw chocolate.
• Add to nut-based smoothies or nut milks to make chocolate shakes and flavoured milks.
• Add agave nectar or honey to the raw cacao nibs and chew.
• Freeze cacao nibs with sweeteners (agave nectar or honey are fantastic). Eat cold.
• Blend cacao nibs into herbal teas with the Peruvian superfood maca.
• Add cacao nibs to raw ice-creams for the best chocolate chips in the world.
• Chop up a banana, add some but butter and top with cacao nibs for a delicious snack, supper or dessert.
• Create a raw chocolate bar! Pour into a mould and freeze. Eat cold and experience the truth about the food of the gods! (See recipes below).

Cacao Recipes
© Karen Knowler 2006

“Milk Chocolate” Bar

Equipment: Food Processor OR Hand Blender

Ingredients:
• 15 soaked and peeled almonds
• ¼ cup ground raw cacao nibs (milled to a fine powder in a nut or coffee mill)
• ¼ cup raw carob powder
• 5 Medjool dates OR 5 Tablespoons agave nectar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract OR small piece of vanilla pod

Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients well making sure there are no hard bits remaining.
2. Scoop mixture from blender and mould into a bar shape on a flat plate.
3. Place in fridge or freezer to harden up.
4. Enjoy as is in small bit sized pieces, or add to raw ice-cream.

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“Dark Chocolate” Bar

Equipment: Food Processor OR Hand Blender

Ingredients:
• ¼ cup milled cashew nuts (milled to a fine powder in a nut or coffee mill)
• 1/3 cup ground raw cacao nibs (milled to a fine powder in a nut or coffee mill)
• 1 heaped Tablespoon raw carob powder
• 2 Medjool dates OR 2 Tablespoons of dark agave nectar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract OR small piece of vanilla pod

Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients well making sure there are no hard bits remaining.
2. Scoop mixture from blender and mould into a bar shape on a flat plate.
3. Place in fridge or freezer to harden up.
4. Enjoy as is in small bit sized pieces, or add to raw ice-cream.

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Chocolate Ice-Cream
This recipe is great for children and adults alike.

Equipment: Blender, Nut Mill/Coffee Grinder

Ingredients:
• 1 cup ground raw cacao nibs (milled to a fine powder in a nut or coffee mill)
• 1 cup raw carob powder
• 8 Tablespoons of agave nectar
• 2 Medjool dates
• 4 cups of pure water
• 1 cup of cashews

Directions:
1. Blend cashews with water to create cashew milk.
2. Add in remaining ingredients and blend well.
3. Pour into an ice-cream maker or a freezable container with a lid and freeze.
4. Enjoy!

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Fun Cacao Fact:
In Mexico during the time of the Aztec kings the small beans were utilized as coins. Twelve beans were roughly equivalent to 1d., the smallest actual coin in use then being worth about 6d. The seeds were necessary for small transactions. The method is still in use in some parts of Mexico.

Shameless Plug! Cacao nibs, carob powder, chocolate powder, agave nectar, maca and all things raw are available in the UK from The Fresh Network. Call 0870 800 7070 to order or visit www.fresh-network.com.

Comments

[Tammy]

I just bought raw cacao beans for the first time. Are the shells edible? What's the easiest way to remove the shell from raw beans?

[Dave]

Hi Karen,
I like your post on raw cacao. I once bought into the media hype of how dark chocolate has amazing health benefits and is looked as a possible super food. We tend to look at the possibilities of cocoa being healthy but forget how bad dark chocolate really is as being processed with unhealthy fats and sugars. Raw cacao powder and nibs enables people to create raw healthy deserts with healthy fats and natural sugars. Processed deserts have no nutritional value and lead to obesity and many other health diseases and issues.