A growing phenomenon, the raw food movement encourages adherents to eat only foods that are either uncooked or cooked no higher than 120°F to preserve the beneficial enzymes in food. These unadulterated foods offer people many health benefits, and in the case of raw cacao a delicious cacao eating experience.

What is raw chocolate?

What is organic raw chocolate? Maintaining the tradition of low temperatures, raw cacao should be made with the following techniques:

• Rather than full fermentation, raw cacao is produced by fermenting the beans less than 15 percent of the time used to create regular chocolate.
• The temperatures used to roast raw cacao are about 104°F, which is quite a bit cooler than the traditional 300°F used to create conventional chocolate products.

These two changes in chocolate making result in raw cacao, which is said to have one-third more antioxidants than regular chocolate! Raw chocolate companies also use no preservatives or artificial ingredients and praise their products for containing higher levels of vitamins and minerals. If sweeteners are used to make raw chocolate bars, more natural options such as agave syrup, maple syrup, or raw honey are employed.

Why eat raw chocolate?

Raw chocolate is considered to be a superfood. Chocolate in its natural form is one richest natural sources of antioxidants, which neutralize the affect of free radicals – organic molecules responsible for aging, tissue damage, and disease.  In a study by Cornell University food scientists, cocpa was found to contain nearly twice the quantity of antioxidants contained in red wine and up to three times the quantity of antioxidants in green tea. In addition to being rich in antioxidants,  chocolate contains many micronutrients, such as potassium, zinc, magnesium and iron. Natural chocolate has beneficial effects on the heart and on healthy blood flow. Studies have also shown that dark chocolate can lower blood pressure, as well as well as promote healthy blood flow by reducing the blood’s ability to clot, much like aspirin.

In order to reap the health benefits of chocolate, you have to choose the right chocolate: chocolate that is pure, 100% organically grown, minimally processed, and, ideally, raw. And the good news is raw chocolate is not only good for you, it tastes just as good as milk chocolate. In fact, many raw chocolate companies are experimenting with exciting flavors derived from ingredients like acai and goji berries, that are superfoods themselves – guaranteeing a powerful, healthy boost with every bite.

4 Raw chocolate companies

Convinced that you want to be adventurous and buy raw chocolate? Here are some organic raw chocolate companies you’ll definitely want to sample:

• EarthSource Organics:  This organic raw chocolate company’s mission is to create products that provide a service to the world. They use unique ingredients such as Himalayan Pink Salt, raw agave nectar, bahri dates, acai berries, goji berries, and maca root. In addition to being made with raw food principles in mind, these chocolates are also USDA Certified Organic, Certified Kosher by Earth Kosher, Certified Organic by CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers), Certified Vegan by Vegan Action, and Certified Wheat and Gluten Free by Celiac Sprue.
• Raw Guru: This online raw foods vendor carries a whole host of raw food options for the raw food enthusiast. They carry raw cacao ingredients such as whole beans, cacao chunks, cacao nibs, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder, but they also have many raw chocolate bars and treats, including brownies, hazelnut cups, spice bars, bonbons, and truffles.
• Wilderness Family Naturals: The Wilderness Family Naturals online store hails from the North Shore of Lake Superior where the family provides healthy, nutrient-dense foods over the Internet. They carry a variety of products, but in particular, they sell raw cacao nibs produced in Mexico. They’re unfermented, Certified Organic, and are free of sugar.
• Matt Samuelson’s Golden Bean Chocolate Bar: Matt Samuelson, a world-famous raw food chef, has created this Golden Bean Chocolate Bar with his team at High Integrity Foods. The ingredients in the Golden Bean Chocolate Bar are simple: raw cacao, raw agave syrup, raw vanilla, Himalayan salt, and organic soy lecithin. It is said that this is one of the leading raw chocolate bars in the world.

Raw chocolate companies certainly are adding something interesting and innovative to the world of artisan and organic chocolates. Try these options out and see if your health doesn’t improve!

Knowing Fair Trade and Certified Organic Chocolate Companies

But if you want really great chocolate, chocolate that makes you feel as good about buying it as it makes your tastebuds feel about meeting it, there are more decisions involved than simply what flavor makes your mouth water. To make the best decisions (and discover the best quality), consider a few questions such as: Where is it grown, how it is grown, and by whom? Does the farmer earn a living wage? Are pesticides used on the cacao trees?
These are tough, but important questions. The good news is we’ve made answering them easier for you.
Most of the chocolate on grocery store shelves isn’t anything like pure, real unadulterated chocolate. Filled with high fructose corn syrup (and, therefore, possibly mercury), grown with pesticides, and sometimes including wax and other decidedly unappetizing ingredients, common chocolate pales in comparison to that made with real food ingredients. If Big Name chocolate is the only chocolate you’ve tried, I’m sorry to inform you that you’ve not really had chocolate.

Today, there are more fair trade chocolate companies and brands specializing in organic chocolate ingredients than ever. Whether you’re looking for chocolate gifts for a special occasion or a quick snack for the road, your eco-shopping trip will be much less hassle today that it would have been even five years ago.

So breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that you no longer have to struggle over where to buy earth friendly chocolate products. We’ve collected a long list of the highest quality, most ethically-sound, and most popular fair trade chocolate companies and organic chocolate brands. Give them a gander, share them with your friends, and above all, celebrate your choice to live a greener, more socially-aware life!

Alter Eco

Using only Certified Organic and Certified Fair Trade chocolate, as well as fair trade, organic sugar, nuts, raisins, and coffee beans, Alter Eco’s chocolates are also free of artificial flavors, sweeteners, chemical additives, and emulsifiers.

Dagoba Organic

Dagoba Organic Chocolate’s belief in chocolate as a sacred food (dagoba means temple in Sanskrit) is made from organic cocoa beans from a variety of countries, including Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Peru.

Divine Chocolate

Organized by farmers, the Divine Chocolate company works with small cocoa producers primarily in West Africa, to stimulate ethical trade practices. The company invests in building schools, sinking wells, providing mobile clinics, and fostering women’s income generation projects.

Endangered Species

Endangered Species Chocolate stresses principles such as reverence for life and ethical trade. Their wrappers increase awareness of species that are currently threatened or endangered. Ten percent of all net profits are given to support species, habitat, and humanity.

Equal Exchange

Working with three different farmer cooperatives in the Dominican Republic, Equal Exchange organic chocolate products are both organic and fair trade. The company also produces teas, snacks, and coffee.

Green & Black’s

Merging the “green” of organic chocolate production principles with the “black” of a decadent life, Green & Black’s is both delicious and sustainable. They choose only organic and fair trade chocolate ingredients.

Grenada Chocolate Company

For Granada Chocolate Company, it’s not enough to purchase Certified Organic cocoa beans—they must grow the beans themselves. Working with organic farmers’ cooperatives, they grow the beans and then use solar-powered machines to make the chocolate.

Ithaca Fine Chocolates

At Ithaca Fine Chocolates, the aim is to produce exquisite chocolate (using Swiss chocolatier methods) that’s also Fair Trade Certified. They also only purchase USDA Certified Organic ingredients. Their wrappers, art cards, and display boxes are made from recycled paper as well.

Newman’s Own Organics

A company founded by Paul Newman, Newman’s Own Organics carries Signature Series Chocolate which is USDA Certified Organic and made from ingredients grown on Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.

Seeds of Change

Working to keep organic, open-pollinated seeds available for farmers and gardeners worldwide, Seeds of Change also produces some organic food and has recently developed a line of chocolate made from organically-grown cocoa, fruits, nuts, and spices from around the world.

Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates

Based in California, Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates are Certified Organic by the Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) organization.

Terra Nostra Organic

A Vancouver, Canada company, Terra Nostra Organic Chocolate is Certified Organic and known for its magnificent taste and luxuriant finish. The company is also a founding member of Equitable Trade which strives to encourage fair trade and organic chocolate farming methods for their suppliers.

Vintage Plantations

With the Rainforest Alliance stamp of approval, Vintage Plantations chocolate is made from Ecuadorian cocoa so you know that it’s both eco-friendly and ethically traded.

Knowing where to buy fair trade chocolate

Now that you know what fair trade chocolate brands and organic chocolate companies to look for, you may also need some help knowing where to buy organic and fair trade chocolates (some artisans and producers don’t sell their wares online). To help you out, here are some tools to help you know where to buy eco-friendly and ethical chocolates:

• Global Exchange carries a wide range of Fair Trade Certified products, including chocolate, coffee, tea, crafts, clothing, jewelry, and more.
• TransFair USA maintains a list of national cafes, restaurants, and retailers carrying their Fair Trade Certified food products.
• The Chocolate Room carries some fair trade and organic chocolate bars.
• You can find Vintage Plantations fair trade chocolates at World Wide Chocolate online.

Choose Earth Friendly Chocolate for Gift Giving

Holidays throughout the year are popular occasions for buying chocolate as gifts. But this year, as you shop the isles or search online, keep earth friendly chocolate gifts in mind, especially when you come to the events here:

Valentine’s

Treat your sweetheart to a box of chocolates that are Certified Organic or that have the Fair Trade Certification seal.

Christmas/Hanukkah

Stock up with Hanukkah Gelt that’s Certified Organic and look for advent calendars and stocking stuffers for Christmas that are Fair Trade Certified.

Mother’s Day

Surprise your Mom with a bouquet of chocolates that are healthier for her and that ensured women around the world were treated with dignity and respect. Fair Trade is the only way to go for this occasion.

Father’s Day

If your Father has a sweet tooth, give him a real treat by purchasing organic chocolates that were produced using cocoa beans raised on farms that are pesticide and fertilizer-free. These will hit the spot without hurting the farmers.

Easter

Don’t let the Easter bunny bring your children chocolates that were made using child slave labor! Choose Fair Trade Certified chocolates instead.

Halloween

Send trick-or-treaters home with sweets that won’t create health problems for them later. Organic chocolates that are toxin-free are a great alternative to conventional treats.

Weddings

If it’s your time to plan a spectacular day to celebrate your love, do so with favors that are ethical to add a green, socially-conscious flare to your day. Look for the fair trade and organic seals for your cake, too!