Cacao Powder
Cacao is the world’s most beloved food or the food of the Gods, and the ingredient that all chocolate products are made of. To make cacao powder, the fermented and dried cacao beans are ground into a paste and then separated from the oil (cacao butter). The solids that remain after the oil has been removed is then ground into a powder. The solids usually retain a very small amount (about 10%) fat.
Raw cacao is of nature’s most fantastic superfoods full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Most of the nutritional properties are found in the solids rather than the oil. If the cacao beans are kept below 45 °C (113°F) during all steps of production they retain most of their nutrients and the cacao powder is considered raw. Most cacao powder is made from beans that are roasted or otherwise heated, which means they will have lost most of the medicinal properties. Powder made from roasted cacao beans is called cocoa powder. Cocoa powder is less bitter and darker in color than cacao powder.
VOLUME
Moderate to loud.
HOW TO USE
Before adding cacao powder it is a good idea to sift it through a strainer or sifter. This breaks up any lumps, making it easier to mix smoothly.
A little tip to make your cacao powder taste more chocolatey is to add a pinch of instant espresso powder to your cacao powder. Not enough to taste the coffee, just to enhance the chocolate taste.
FLAVOR PAIRINGS
Allspice, anise, almonds, apricots, bananas, basil, bee pollen, berries, black pepper, blackberry, blueberry, brandy, brazil nuts, buckwheat, caramel, cardamom, carob, cashews, cayenne, chai spice, chia seeds, cherries, chili, cinnamon, cloves, coconut, coconut sugar, coffee, coriander seeds, cream, dates, durian, elderflower, figs, ginger, goji berries, granola, hazelnuts, hemp seeds, honey, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, lucuma, maca, macadamia nuts, maple syrup, matcha, mesquite, m!lk, mint, nutmeg, nut butter, oats, olive oil, orange, passion fruit, peanuts, pecans, pepper, pistachios, plums, popcorn, pumpkin seeds, raisins, raspberries, rose, rose pepper, rose, rosemary, rum, saffron, salt, sesame seeds, spirulina, star anise, strawberries, sunflower seeds, tahini, thyme, vanilla, vegan cream, violet, walnuts.
SELECTING
When it comes to cacao I always recommend using raw products. When cacao is roasted you lose antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. And processed cacao products go through a chemical process called ”dutching”. In this process chemicals such as potassium carbonate are added to treat the cacao to make it more water soluble and alkaline and give all the beans a uniform taste. In the process, the cacao loses even more nutrients and life force. (Between 60-90% of the antioxidants are lost). Not all dutched cacao powder is labeled as such. It may say ”alkalized” or ”processed with alkali”. The way to tell the difference is that dutched cacao powder will dissolve easier in liquid, the taste is less bitter and the color darker than raw cacao powder.
Certified raw and organic cacao powder is available in health food stores, well stocked supermarkets or online. When it comes to cacao, Fair Trade is best, considering that many cacao plantations otherwise use child- and slave-labor. A Fair Trade certificate is not necessarily required to indicate quality or slavery-free cacao, there are companies who practice fair working conditions and produce good quality cacao. However, when it comes to conventionally grown cacao from the African continent it is extra important to be vigilant and select Fair Trade.
Black cacao powder is a product that has been more heavily treated with chemicals than dutched cacao powder. The flavor is very mild and the color is used to give a dark color to baked goods, such as Oreos. Often black food will be extra nutrient dense, such as black sesame seeds, chaga mushrooms and the superfood resin called shilajit, for example. However when it comes to black cacao powder the case is opposite considering it is not naturally black.
STORING
Store cacao powder in an airtight plastic bag in a cool, dry and dark pantry with air flow. It is important that the bag is thoroughly sealed and away from ingredients with strong flavors and odors as otherwise they can contaminate the cacao.When it comes to storing cacao powder, emphasis is on dryness, as humidity can cause beans to mold. To extend shelf life you can vacuum seal the powder. Due to humidity it is not recommended to store cacao powder in the refrigerator or freezer unless vacuum sealed. Vacuum sealing will also protect against flavor contamination. When properly stored cacao powder will last 2-3 years. The shelf life of cacao powder is longer than whole cacao beans.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Some people avoid cacao because of its caffeine content or because it can stress the adrenals. Carob is a seed from the carob pod and has a similar taste, color, and function, but has no caffeine and is available in powdered form. Carob powder can be substituted for cacao powder at a 1:1 ratio.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Raw cacao is rich in vitamin A, C, E and B complex and also has an extraordinary amount of minerals, including magnesium, iron, chromium, phosphorus and zinc. Interestingly, these same minerals are the ones that are depleted when we are under stress.
With more than 300 organic chemical compounds, raw cacao is considered one of the most complex superfoods on the planet.
One example of such a compound is Phenylethylamine (PEA), also called the ”love” chemical. PEA is a stimulant that is found naturally in the body to help us focus and increase our sense of well-being. It also enhances the effect of other brain chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, sleep, cognitive function and libido. Dopamine plays an important role in our ability to feel pleasure, satisfaction, and motivational salience.
Tryptophan is another chemical found in raw cacao, and contrary to PEA it can not be synthesized by the body, and therefore can only come from diet. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that acts as a natural antidepressant, and also triggers the production of serotonin and melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep, and helps both the mind and muscles relax.
Anandamide – also called the “bliss chemical” is a natural chemical compound found in cacao that can increase motivation, pleasure and appetite, and produce a similar high to when you work out. Studies also show that it can inhibit growth of cancer cells.
Furthermore, cacao also contains theobromine, a naturally occurring form of caffeine.
Theobromine is a psychoactive stimulant of the nervous system that affects our mind, mood and muscles, causing both alertness and relaxation. Although theobromine is a chemical relative of caffeine, studies show that it does not elevate blood sugar in the same way as a caffeine containing beverage. Interestingly, theobromine also contains antibacterial substances that eliminate streptococci mutans, microorganisms that otherwise cause cavities in teeth.
When it comes to antioxidants, cacao ranks far higher than most other foods, including green tea, acai and red wine. Anti-oxidants help neutralize free radicals, which slows down aging. The helpful antioxidants also benefit cardiovascular health, reducing the risk of stroke and heart attacks, lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol. However, more is not necessarily merrier when it comes to cacao. One study that showed that consuming a small square of chocolate per day was good for the heart, also concluded that eating more than that did not increase the benefit.
It is important to mention that unhealthy products are often added to chocolate, making the final product far from healthy. Raw cacao beans are a whole food, and if we add other high quality ingredients we get a vastly different chocolate product compared to a processed chocolate bar full of dairy and refined sugar. The darker and less processed, the more antioxidants and the more beneficial it is.
CONCERNS
Although raw cacao is widely known as a nutrient dense superfood with such an impressive list of benefits, others theorize that consuming cacao is not as beneficial as we might think, and actually comes with negative effects.
Even though the caffeine content is much lower in cacao than in coffee or tea, nevertheless it is there. Foods that contain caffeine are said to potentially weaken the liver and cause the adrenals to burn out. When we consume caffeine frequently, the adrenals are on constant high alert, which over time can result in weight gain and accelerated aging.
Another potential negative aspect of chocolate is the high fat content. Cacao beans contain 40-50% fat, primarily palmitic, stearic and oleic acid. The remaining 50-60% is composed of cacao solids. Therefore Dr. Michael Greger (author of How Not to Die) suggests that consuming cacao solids (cacao powder) is a way to gain the benefits of the cacao without the potentially non beneficial effects of the fat. Dr Greger suggests that the consequence of consuming too much fat, especially combined with sugar, is that it can inhibit the body´s ability to detox, cause inflammation and burden the liver. Furthermore, all the antioxidants are found in the nonfat portions of the caca bean.
Something else to be aware of is that theobromine can be toxic to animals, including cats, dogs, horses and parrots.
HISTORY
In 1828 the course of chocolate changed radically. The chocolate press was invented by Dutch chemist Coenraad van Houten. This made it possible to separate the oil from the cacao solids, producing cacao powder. He later also invented the process of adding chemical salts to the chocolate powder, known as ”dutching”.
The first chocolate bar ever was produced in 1874 by the British company J.S. Fry & sons using cacao powder, cacao butter and sugar.
Just a year later, a Swiss chocolatier, by the name Daniel Peter experimented with adding milk powder, producing the first ever milk chocolate bar.
By the 20th century, chocolate was no longer reserved for the wealthy. The demand for chocolate went up radically. Since the cacao trees thrive near the equator, cacao production grew exponentially all around the equator, and especially in Africa. Unfortunately many of the cacao plantations today still use slave and child labor. Over 2 million children are estimated to be affected. Fair trade is supposedly slavery free.
