“Inspiration, sometimes, can be found at the bottom of a shot of dark chocolate
Warm, bitter sweet liquid enlivens your soul and tickles your inspiration
Your taste buds wriggle with delight under the velvet blanket of the cacao elixir, a cheeky temptress and wanton minx
Devour & relish the velvet assault of the aroma arousing your senses, making you fall in love and releasing your deepest desires
Lend me your fragrant charm and bathe my mind in sensuous delight“
With every taste and whiff of Cacao you reason that of course being known as Theobroma Cacao*, “the food of the gods”, why on earth would the gods wish to have eaten anything else?!
A native to Central American rainforests, the tree was originally cultivated by the Olmens, then the Maya, Toltecs and finally by the Aztecs. It is a terrible woe that despite having easy access to gorgeous organic or raw chocolate today, that Cadbury’s, Hershey’s and the like can masquerade in the place of this rich, heady, sensuous substance that can literally lift you to a higher plain.
Pure cacao (the seed powder) without sugar and other additives has been found to contain high levels of antioxidant polyphenols, oligomeric procynanidins and other flavonoids that help boost the immune system and protect against the “bad” cholesterol and even heart disease. It’s extremely nutritious due to its high protein, vitamin and mineral content.
The cacao absolute essential oil is rich, luxurious and has a deep chocolaty liqueur aroma. Fran and I made a face cream with it this morning and it smelled like Kahlua…it’s superb mixed with orange, vanilla or even bergamot..but beware as you may find people coming up to you in the street. Warning: strangers licking you – not nice!
It’s packed full of anti-oxidants making it an exciting component in youthful elixirs; it promotes softer, more youthful skin and amazingly it protects the cells, collagen and elastin from damage caused by free radicals found in our environment.
To top it off, it has been used as an aphrodisiac for thousands of years, although I can testify to the truth that if you have in your possession a chunk of the purest organic dark chocolate, attracting a mate will be the last thing on your mind! This is attributed to the high flavonol content which is naturally active in cacao.
Remember, also, that eating it releases endorphins, so stop fighting the urge and make sure Cacao has a regular role in your daily lifestyle, either as aroma, beauty elixir, medicinal alternative, food or indulgent treat – cos you’re worth it!
*Named in in 1753 by Swedish Botanist
You made me laugh out loud, you have the gift of humour in your musings my dear! By the way, can you buy pure cacao as is, and are you allowed to advise on the best brand to purchase? Ma xx
It’s really hard to source a great organic cacao absolute (not least because many companies now spell it like the hot drink) but we got ours from http://www.simplers.com, who have an amazing array of organic oils. Not so sure about a UK supplier.
If you’re thinking about using it in your skincare, it might be better to buy an organic product that contains Cacao (it is oil insoluble so needs to be in creams made with water) so try this amazing little gem. Chocolatekarate by Living Libations http://www.livinglibations.com contain lubricating nectars of cacao, carrot, rose, immortelle & ORMUS gold which radiate nourishment deep into the layers of the skin. Delicious!
For eating, you can get raw cacao nibs and a whole host of other amazing super foods from http://cacaonibs.gojiking.co.uk/
Right – so I can absolutely justify indulging in Lindt, or Green & Blacks dark chocolate as often as I please.
What these large food companies have done is add addictive chemicals and a tonne of sugar in order to ship product like it’s going out of fashion.
I think if everyone in this world stopped at a little Italian bar (or cafe as the rest of the world calls them), and had the traditional espresso of hot chocolate, then you really experience heaven and all of its indulgences!
I will happily pay the extra few pounds to get the good stuff.
Unfortunately, chocolate bars from both these companies go through commercial processing and refining techniques that can lessen the health giving properties of the raw cacao that is used to make them.
To fully benefit from chocolate’s health-giving nutrients, eat chocolate that is as close to its natural state as possible. Whole cacao beans and nibs are perfect, otherwise you lose many of the health-giving benefits when you eat commercially produced chocolate.
Raw Cacao has more antioxidant flavonoids than any food tested so far, including blueberries, red wine, and black and 4 times that contained in green teas. Cacao beans are also rich in a number of essential minerals, including magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese which may be destroyed during heating.
[...] See also: An Ode to Cacao Absolute [...]