Please visit our new website

www.raw-chocolate.net

where we have our new range of raw chocolate products available.

Certified Organic Raw Criollo Cacao (cocoa) - beans, nibs, powder and butter

Our cacao beans and nibs are the original heirloom royal criollo cacao from Xoconusco in Mexico. By buying this organic raw chocolate you are supporting a sustainable project that is rescuing this original heirloom variety of cacao, which has been grown by the mayans of Xoconusco since they originally domesticated the cacao tree over 3,000 years ago.

The certified organic indigenous growers use an age old system of permaculture, where the cacao trees are planted under the native forest canopy, along with other fruit trees, such as mango, avocado, papaya etc. All of these trees add their distinctive nuances to the fine multi-floral flavor of this exquisite cacao. [Find out more about the growers and history of this unique single origin cacao.]

Our raw cocoa powder and butter comes from Peru where raw Peruvian criollo cacao nibs are cold pressed into anti-oxidant rich cocoa powder and highly sensual cocoa butter.

At no stage in the processing of any of our raw cacao products does the temperature go above 45 degrees Celcius (113 Farenheit).

Antioxidants

Raw Cacao beans contain 10 grams of flavonol antioxidants per 100 grams, which is an incredible 10%. Research has also demonstrated that the antioxidants in cacao are highly stable and easily available to human metabolism. In the adjacent table you can see that raw cocoa powder has set the world record for antioxidants with nearly 4 times the amount of antioxidants as Goji Berries. The ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture to measure the ability of antioxidants to absorb free radicals, which normally cause cell and tissue damage. The higher the ORAC score, the higher the level of antioxidants present in the food.

Magnesium for the Heart and Brain

Raw cacao is the primary dietary source of magnesium, the most deficient mineral in western civilisation. Magnesium is the most important mineral for a healthy functioning heart. It also plays a key role in producing energy for the neurons in the brain from glucose. So when there is an abundance of magnesium the brain works with clarity and focus.

Mood elevators and Anti-depressants

Cacao is a great source of serotonin, dopamine, anandamide and phenylethylamine (PEA), four well-studied neurotransmitters, which are associated with feelings of well being and help alleviate depression. Both PEA and Anandamide (the bliss chemical) are found in abundance in the brains of happy people and are particularly released when we are feeling happy. Both of these nuerotransmitters are present in raw cacao in large enough quanitities to affect the brain and lift our moods. Cacao also contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO Inhibitors) that keep neurotransmitters in the bloodstream for longer without being broken down.

We have all experienced the positive feelings associated with eating chocolate, now we have access to pure raw unadalterated chocolate in the form of organic raw cacao. This is much more potent than the processed chocolate and doesn't have any sugar or dairy products blocking the positive effects of all the goodies in raw cacao. My experience is that eating 11 raw cacao beans is enough to experience a blissful sense of well being.