Cacao has a long and mysterious history dating back before 1500BC in Central and South America. The tropical Cacao tree once grew wild in the Amazonia region of South America where their fruit pods were a delicious and nutritious source of food for animals. Historical evidence shows the entire cacao fruit was used for culinary purposes by the Mayan, Olmec and Aztec civilizations. It is often referred to as “The Food of the Gods” because of the role it played in Mayan legend.
Once cacao beans are picked and roasted, they’re separated from their husks, then broken into pieces. These are what are called cacao nibs. To make chocolate, the pieces are ground into a thick paste called chocolate liquor, which is combined with cacao butter and sugar. The beans contain magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese and potassium, as well as vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and pantothenic acid. Cacao contains more antioxidants than most other vegetables and fruits, with up to three times as much concentrated antioxidants as acai or goji berries. Cacao also contains natural mood-boosting compounds, such as theobromine and phenylethyamine.*
Our Cacao nibs are toasted small crunchy bits perfect for adding to cookies, yogurt, oatmeal, blending in smoothies, trail mixes, or eating by the handful!
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