Raw Cacao Beans
If It was Good Enough for the Aztec Gods, It’s Good Enough for Me
What are these mighty Cacao Beans?
Cacao beans are, like the name suggests, the main constituent of that highly sought after treat, chocolate. Theobroma Cacao, literally translated to mean food of the Gods, was rare and highly sought after during the Aztec epoch in South America, and cups of cacao were offered up to the Gods during ceremonies. The cacao tree is native to South America and the West Indies, and the beans that are yielded from this handsome evergreen are saturated with antioxidants, magnesium, zinc, iron and other essential minerals. They’re low in fat too!
Do These Cacao Beans Taste Like Chocolate?
For those who are accustomed to the sweet, fatty flavour that is dairy milk chocolate, prepare yourself! The first few times you try the raw cacao beans probably the main thing you’ll notice is how bitter it is in comparison to chocolate. This is your tastebuds being treated to a flavour they probably don’t get much experience with given our societal obsession with sugar and salt.
Once you get accustomed to the bitterness of raw cacao beans, the rich, nutty undertones are sure to become a favourite flavour. You’ll notice that you don’t need to eat much of it, and it’s not addictive like chocolate.
In a nutshell, cacao beans contain the richness and nuttiness of chocolate, but are more bitter than sweet.
Nutritional Breakdown: The Cacao Lowdown
Cacao beans are a good source of amino acids, protein, zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and sulphur. They contain more antioxidants than green tea, goji berries, and most other foods that are touted as antioxidant superfoods. Cacao beans are a superfood in their own right. Aztec kings drank over twenty cups a day of pure chocolate to aid their strength and vitality. Hey, if it was good enough for Kings and Gods, it’s good enough for me!
How Can I Incorporate Cacao Beans into My Diet?
If you can’t handle the flavour of raw cacao beans by themselves, try grinding and mixing them with raw sugar or honey for a warm chocolate drink. Blend them in banana or strawberry smoothies for nutty undertones. Add to muesli, trail mixes and dried fruit platters.
When buying cacao beans, make sure you go for organic beans that haven’t been heat extracted, as this destroys most of the nutrient content. Our favourite brand is Power Superfoods, since they fulfil these requirements as well as being a fair trade company. Now that’s guilt free! Hook in…
Enjoyed this article? You may also enjoy these:
Help Support Us
