Tagged with 'polyphenols'

Today we celebrate Chocolate Day! Woop Woop! Not milk chocolate though. I'm talking about the high cacao, rich, dark chocolate we crave and love. Even better, pure cacao is a superfood that contains a lot of beneficial nutrients. Let’s celebrate all things true and pure about chocolate on this well-deserving day.

Chocolate, Cacao, and All Its Parts

Chocolate comes from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao, which has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years, is grown in Mexico, Central America and Northern Southern America. The cacao tree seeds have a very intense, bitter taste that must be fermented to develop the flavor.

Once the seeds have been fermented, the cacao beans are dried, cleaned and roasted. After roasting, the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The cacao nibs are then ground into a cocoa mass, which is pure unsweetened chocolate in rough form. The cocoa mass is usually liquefied then molded with or without other ingredients. At this point of the process it’s called chocolate liquor, which may then be processed into two components cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

Delicious and Good For You!

Cacao is incredibly high in antioxidants. Cacao is also is the highest plant-based source of iron, double that of spinach, and is rich in magnesium and calcium, two critical minerals your body needs for cardiovascular, muscular, and skeletal health.

There's also a reason that chocolate makes you feel better; cacao contains the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, anandamide and phenylethylamine, chemicals associated with making you feel happy and blissful. Cacao is also rich in caffeine and theobromine, a caffeine-like stimulant and potent diuretic.

Cacao Liquor

If you’re a chocolate lover, cacao liquor is a must try. As the name might imply, it doesn’t contain alcohol, and if you add a little sweetener, this superfood is transformed into a super good dessert, hot chocolate, snack or treat any time of the day!

This is one of the easiest ways to add nutrient rich cacao to your diet. Cacao has a dark, robust flavor profile due to its unique growing environment.

How to Observe Chocolate Day?

Go out to your favorite restaurant and indulge in a delicious chocolate dessert or try these delicious cacao berry clarity bars. Make a nice hot chocolate, add cacao powder to your chocolate smoothie, or snack on these dark cacao macaroons.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

Cacao and cocoa may sound similar, but both of them are unique when it comes to taste, nutrition, and cost. If you’re unsure if you should buy cacao or cocoa, check out these differences below so you can make a well informed, choco-licious decision!

Cacao

• Cacao is the purest form of chocolate you can consume, which means it is raw and much less processed than cocoa powder or chocolate bars. Cacao is thought to be the highest source of antioxidants of all foods and the highest source of magnesium of all foods. It has been used throughout many cultures for years for health purposes and even used as a high trade commodity.

• The cacao fruit tree, also known as Theobroma Cacao, produces cacao pods which are cracked open to release cacao beans. From there, cacao beans can be processed a few different ways.

• Cacao butter is the fattiest part of the fruit and makes up the outer lining of the inside of a single cacao bean. It is white in color and has a rich, buttery texture that resembles white chocolate in taste and appearance.

• Cacao butter is removed from the bean during production and the remaining part of the fruit is used to produce raw cacao powder.

• Cacao nibs are simply cacao beans that have been chopped up into edible pieces, much like chocolate chips without the added sugars and fats. Cacao nibs contain all of the fiber, fat, and nutrients that the cacao bean does.

• Cacao paste comes from cacao nibs that have been slowly heated to preserve the nutrients and are melted into a bark known that is a less-processed form of dark chocolate bars. Cacao paste can be used to make raw vegan desserts or you can just eat it as an indulgent snack by itself!

• Cacao powder contains more fiber and calories than cocoa powder since more of the nutrients from the whole bean are still intact. Cacao is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, cholesterol-free saturated fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber, natural carbohydrates, and protein that make it an excellent source of nutrients.

Cocoa

• Cocoa is the term used to refer to the heated form of cacao that you probably grew up buying at the store in the form of cocoa powder.

• Though cocoa may seem inferior to raw cacao, it’s actually very good for you (and less expensive) if you choose a variety without added sugars and milk fats or oils.

• Cocoa powder is produced similarly to cacao except cocoa undergoes a higher temperature of heat during processing. Surprisingly, it still retains a large amount of antioxidants in the process and is still excellent for your heart, skin, blood pressure, and even your stress levels.

• If you buy cocoa powder, be sure you buy plain cocoa powder, not cocoa mixes which often contain sugar. Look for either regular cocoa powder or Dutch-processed (a.k.a. dark) cocoa powder.

• Dutch-processed cocoa powder (dark cocoa) is cocoa powder that has been processed with an alkalized solution, making it less acidic and much richer in taste. Regular cocoa powder retains a more acidic nature and bitter taste, and is used in baking recipes with baking soda where Dutch-processed cocoa powder is not since it has already been alkalized.

• Cocoa powder is a rich source of fiber, has little fat, and has a bit of protein in it as well.

You can use cocoa powder and cacao powder interchangeably in baking recipes, smoothies, oatmeal, cookies, homemade raw treats, or even stir them into your coffee for a homemade mocha. Both cacao and cocoa are highly nutritious and are sure to satisfy your chocolate cravings around the clock. If you want more nutrients, I would suggest you choose cacao, but if you want less calories and and decent source of antioxidants, then definitely go with cocoa powder.

Which one do you prefer — cacao or cocoa?

Article courtesy of One Green Planet