Chocolate Without The Junk

“Chocolate is the first luxury. It has so many things wrapped in it: deliciousness in the moment, childhood memories, and that grin-inducing feeling of getting a reward for being good” ― Mariska Hargitay

Chocolate has become the most commonly craved food for everyone. No surprise when you think about how much we self-prescribe chocolate to treat general sadness. Most milk chocolates are not vegan because of the added dairy ingredients. But do not despair, for here we are!

Raw Chocolate

Chocolate is RAW: this just means it hasn’t been roasted. Roasting of cacao beans is done above 42oC heat. At this temperature nutrients and textures and natural contents start to break down, and here are a few reasons why we don’t want that:

Cacao is significantly richer in antioxidant flavonoids than green tea, red wine or acai. Heating Cacao destroys 75 % of these antioxidants.

Chocolate gives off the ‘happy hormone’ via the substance Anandamide that stimulates the release of the hormones Serotonin and Endorphin. Serotonin and Endorphin go hand in hand with controlling and affecting our mood.

“The raw cacao bean has, in the nut and seed world,

the highest amount of Vitamin C. After roasting

them there remains none.”

Dark Chocolate Vs Raw Chocolate

• Sugar Content

On the market, all dark chocolates have added sugar, unless you buy 100% unsweetened chocolate bars for baking, which is actually 100% cacao dark chocolate.

Many raw chocolate brands don’t add refined sugar like dark chocolate, but some may add natural sugars instead.

• Milk

A third major ingredient difference is milk, which is found in many dark chocolate brands. Raw chocolate, however, has no added milk and is dairy-free. Although raw chocolate has no added milk, some brands use raw cacao oil or raw cacao butter as natural, dairy-free sweeteners.

“Heating the Cacao by faster fermentation and r

oasting brings out the typical cacao flavor and

bitterness associated with dark chocolate.”

• Taste

Although most people don’t find a taste difference between 100% dark chocolate baking bars and 100% raw chocolate, there are a few subtle differences that make raw chocolate healthier. Raw chocolate is fresher than dark chocolate because dark chocolate contains added sugar: a higher glycemic index, and is more processed; it’s less fresh than raw chocolate.

The main difference between raw chocolate and dark chocolate is the amount of enzymes in each. Raw chocolate has thousands of living enzymes that have been preserved through the chocolate’s processing. All enzymes aid in healthy digestion and overall well-being, as well as enhance the absorption of vitamins and minerals found in raw cacao.

“Coco caravan is one of the very few chocolate manufacturers who offer raw chocolate that is vegan and at the same time environmentally friendly with very little or no plastic used for the packaging.”

Coco Caravan is one of the raw chocolate manufacturers. They use coconut blossom nectar as the sweetener in their chocolates. Coconut blossom nectar is very rich in minerals and that gives this sweetener many health benefits. From one acre there is about 50 to 70 % more sweetness than what comes from regular cane sugar, but it uses only 20 % of soil nutrients and water.

At Coco Caravan they source their electricity from Ecotricity, powering their chocolate 100% on renewable energy.

Their packaging is made from FSC sources and is fully recyclable and biodegradable. No plastics around this chocolate!

All their packaging is printed locally with plant based inks.

Wastes are kept to a minimum as boxes are re-used, or recycled through the Stroud Council recycling.

Our intention of creating this article for you is fulfilled if all this chocolate talk has kindled the chocolate-hunger in you, especially the RAW chocolate! Go ahead and order some for yourself and feel the difference.