Hey, just like you I was extremely curious about the health claims surrounding 100% Cacao. I knew this was a food that I wanted in my diet, but in all honesty? The 100% Dark element was intimidating to me... and my taste buds. I too wanted to experience the relaxing qualities of Cacao Ceremony, but how could I when I could hardly face a 70% Dark chocolate bar from Sainsbury's? Well, I decided to ease into it, just as you would wean a baby into solid foods, I chose to wean myself into the depths of raw cacao.
So where do I begin, you ask? In this article, I share the tips and tricks I used to introduce Cacao into my everyday life so that you can too.
Step One: FACING THE FEAR
I believe I can speak on behalf of the general British Public when I say; Initially we tend to react strongly to the notion of eating raw chocolate. When I express my love for Cacao, the faces I am greeted with are often panicked, strained, and positively alarming. As a chronic people-pleaser, I do not take this lightly...
You see, when we've been salivating over the highly processed, sugar-stuffed, admittedly delicious Milk Chocolate bars on our supermarket shelves, then of course our taste buds are used to this form of chocolate. So much so, that we associate the word 'chocolate' with an extremely sweet and heart-warming sensation. However, in reality, real chocolate is 'rich' with capital 'R'. Raw chocolate is hot, punchy and aromatic.
Up until recent years, I quivered at the sight and waft of an 'After Eight', so you can imagine the leaps and bounds I have come to actively look forward to a Cacao Ceremony. After months of failed attempts, It was the force feeding from my partner to share his box of 'After Eight's with me, that turned me into a convert. From there, I took the leap.
My mind was opened to the possibility that Dark chocolate, Dark Cocoa, even 100% Cacao could be, dare I say, delicious. It was facing the fear of that one After Eight moving closer to my face (via my partners hand), that converted me to the other side. Albeit slightly resentful, I realised that by easing into Dark Chocolate, I could experience GREATER DEPTHS of the food. I could actually begin taste the cocoa.
So, to my fellow milk-chocolate advocates, do be reassured that by opening your mind, you could enjoy that bitter taste too. In fact, you might begin to even prefer the dark side.
Step 2: EASY DOES IT.
Like many things in life nowadays, instant gratification plays a large part of how we do things. However, please take your time with Cacao. If you are a white-chocolate lover, perhaps diving straight into 90% Ecuadorian Cacao is not the best idea.
May I offer a story? Once upon a time, I never touched a single vegetable. So one day, I had the disastrous idea to pull out a cold Leek from the fridge, remove the packaging, and bite into the vegetable: whole, cold and completely unprepared. Tears proceeded to stream down my face as I tried to keep to food traveling in one direction. Since then, the taste of Leek is awful to me, and I can't even bare the sight of it! I tell you this small anecdote to advise you to not take a clean chunk out of your Cacao bar, and to prepare it in the optimal, most flavoursome way.
Here are my top tips to begin exploring Cacao:
1. Start with a light percentage.
2. Use a sweetener at first. I.e. Oat Milk, Honey, Coconut Sugar.
3. Switch that sweetener for a nut milk.
4. Eventually try the cacao with unsweetened milk.
Eventually by easing in to cacao, and training your palette to appreciate the rich tones of the food, Cacao can become a regular wonder in your day!