Understanding Super Foods: Cacao and Real Chocolate
For some reason I can't get the vision of John Matuszak out of my head. John Matuszak -- you know -- Sloth, from The Goonies! Choc-o-late...Ruth...Ba-by...Ruth. Yes, none of that cinematic magic would have been possible without cacao. Could you imagine? Cacao is responsible for that delicious, sometimes decadent food group we commonly know as chocolate, but it's oh, so much more. In fact, in its purest form, it has health benefits that might even cause you to furrow or lift your brow. But first -- what exactly is cacao?
Smoothie
What Is Cacao?
Cacao is an evergreen tree that generally grows from 10 - 30 feet in height and is native to the tropical regions of the American continents. It is found naturally in the Amazon River Basin as well as the Orinoco River Basin, and can also be found bearing its "fruit" at the base of the Andes Mountain range in foothill elevations of 600 - 1300 ft. above sea level. It is widely accepted by many cacao experts, that the tree was native to Mexico, and brought wild to be cultivated in South America.
It is now farmed in many tropical nations, and the largest commercial producer is actually the western African nation of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Ghana, Indonesia and the Philippines also cultivate a prominent amount of cacao, and the Americas round out the majority of the commercial farming.
The fruit of the cacao, known as the cacao pod, ripens to a hearty yellow or orange, and weighs about a pound. Within it, you'll find a load of seeds, which are generally referred to as cacao beans. Each seed is made up of about 40 percent fat, which is often extracted and known as cocoa butter.
The Cacao Nib Craze
Is it true that Cacao Nibs, the peeled, crushed cacao seeds/beans, are full of antioxidants? Antioxidants that rival super foods like blueberries, and many antioxidant rich teas? Yes, it's all true. As a matter of fact, the cacao nib is also rich in good fat and minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron and potassium. All that good energy stuff you'd get from drinking a Gatorade without the multiple grams of refined sugar. You'll also find a natural byproduct that is very much like caffeine. It even seems that the natural MAO inhibitors found in these tasty morsels can suppress an overactive appetite.
The Taste of Cacao
What do cacao nibs taste like? Chocolately and nutty. You can pick at it like granola, eat it by the spoonful like granola, grind it into your coffee... not like granola... sprinkle it on ice-cream, put it in a smoothie or a personal favorite -- dip a banana into them.
If you're intrigued, make sure you snag an organic variety of the cacao nibs. Criollo cacao is the rarest of the organically produced cacao, and what you'd probably enjoy the most in your first sampling. You can generally find the goods for -15 a pound, depending on where you shop. Cacao: Along with Goji Berries [http://www.greeneggsandplanet.com/blog/dieting/goji-berries-what-are-goji-berries], just another example of nature's candies.
What Is Cacao And Why Is Natural Chocolate Healthy?
Matty Byloos writes and manages the Green Blog known as: Easy Ways to Go Green, as well as the Organic Food Blog: Organic Eating Daily