Raw Organic Chocolate Companies – a New Generation of Health Conscious Chocolatiers
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!
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!