Mayan Superfood – Sweet Raw Cacao Nibs

April 11, 2011

Theobroma cacao is the scientific name for Cocoa Beans.  After the cocoa beans are harvested, fermented, dried and shipped to the chocolate manufacturer, they are stripped of their outer-most coating, called the shell, and roasted before being ground into chocolate liquor (unsweetened baking chocolate). 

These shelled beans are called nibs.  Almost all nibs are roasted.  Roasting brings out flavor and color development.  Roasting also drives off moisture and undesirable “volatiles.” 

I wanted to share this brief story about bean processing because RAW nibs are not roasted, and I’d like you to see where they come from and why they stand out even more as a superfood than the already proclaimed superfood-ness (is this a word?) of chocolate.

Roasting is part of “processing” and processing any food will diminish the nutritional benefits it has to offer.  Minimizing or eliminating the processing of cocoa nibs keeps more of the antioxidant and flavanol components intact.

Nibs are bitter and bold and definitely an acquired taste for most people.  That’s why a company called Navitas Naturals lightly sweetens them with sugar cane.

I have fallen in love with these!

Navitas Naturals (navitas is Latin, meaning “energy”) Sweet Raw Cacao Nibs are ground pieces of cacao beans and rolled in raw cacao liquor, and then lightly dusted with organic sugar cane juice. They are crunchy, slightly sweet, and all natural. 

I eat them right out of the bag as a snack.  Many people like to use them in baking and cooking.  Take a look at the Navitas website for recipes using raw nibs along with Chef’s Notes on how and when to use them.   You can also order their nibs online for a very reasonable price.

Chocolate may be “food of the gods” but nibs are “superfood of the gods”!  Enjoy!

Bryn Kirk
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