Ground Organic Chocolate (Cacao)

Chocolate is made from the Cacao bean, but most chocolates in the world come from much processing, the addition of refined sugar, milk, even vegetable oils. The original chocolate, which comes from grinding the cacao bean has almost become extinct. Don't you wish you could have healthy chocolate, full of antioxidants and minerals without white sugar and all the processing?

Cacao is actually an evergreen tree whose seeds, or beans, are used to make chocolate and cocoa. The cacao tree may grow 25 feet high. Its fruit is a melon-like pod (similar to a long cantaloupe) that may be 12 inches long. The cacao seeds, imbedded in the pod, are about the size of lima beans. Each pod usually contains 20 to 40 of these almond-shaped seeds. They range in color from light brown to purple. Cacao beans are the raw material from which chocolate, cocoa, and cocoa butter are made. When fermented and dried these seeds are called cacao beans.

Workers cut the pods from the trees with knives attached to long poles, or with machetes. They gather the pods into heaps, cut them open and scoop out the beans. The beans are then placed in piles, covered with banana leaves, and allowed to ferment. After fermentation, the beans are dried in the sun. These beans are then lightly roasted so the hull can be removed easily. Lastly they are ground. The resulting paste is called by some a chocolate liqueur, by Europeans a chocolate mass, by others a natural ground chocolate.

Most (if not all) chocolate today is made from cocoa butter (the fat which has been removed from the cacao bean), cocoa powder (the residue left over from the pressing of the cacao beans), and chocolate liqueur (the ground cacao bean before cocoa butter and cocoa powder are produced). By doing this they can make various formulations, add milk, sugar, vegetable oils etc. But this is not the original chocolate the ancient people used for medicinal purposes. This is instead a modern day refined, adulterated product that has lost much (most) of its health properties (like most of the rest of our food supply in America).

The Mayan Indians of Central America and the Aztec Indians of Mexico were the original cultivators of cacao beans. They were growing cacao well before Columbus discovered America. Botanists believe that the cacao tree originated in the Amazon river basin in South America. In 1528, Hernando Cortes, the conqueror of Mexico, took some cacao beans to Spain. In 1606 the beans were introduced into Italy. and shortly after, people in Austria and France began to use them. By 1707 cocoa had become a fashionable beverage in London. Through the 17th century until early 1900's the Spanish religious community built a reputation for high quality production of cooking chocolate, which they called "Tableas."

The story of Antonio Pueo Chocolates has its beginning in historical Intramuros, the old Walled City of Manila in the early part of the 20th Century. Its founder was Jose Maria Pueo, a 17 year old Spanish immigrant who arrived in the Philippines armed with the knowledge of chocolate manufacturing, which he learned from his Spanish godfather, who was also a friar. Following the very same basic production techniques and secrets learned from the good friar, but with some of his very own innovations. Jose Ma. Pueo started the first Chocolate Factory to produce Antonio Pueo Chocolates (named after his father and uncle). In post-Colonial Intramuros, Mr. Pueo quickly built a reputation for having the highest quality natural chocolate drink manufactured locally from the finest grade of "Cacao."

Today when most cacao beans are processed into cocoa powder, almost all the natural cocoa butter is extruded, along with fat soluble vitamins and other nutrients. But Ground "Cacao," made the old-fashioned way directly from cacao beans, has a deeper, dark brown color, distinct and wonderful aroma, and all the intrinsic natural taste and nutrients, because the cocoa butter remains intact. Ground Cacao has a very rich, full flavor and contains all the natural antioxidants and minerals.

Since Cacao beans are about 50% oil, if are ground they will yield paste rather than a powder. This is called a chocolate liquor. There is a very slight bitter taste to the ground cacao nibs, as well. So this ground cacao is actually ground with a little bit of totally unprocessed sugar cane. In the Philippines this unprocessed sugar is called Muscovado. It has a very dark color and is loaded with minerals. The resulting powder blend is one that can easily be added to coconut milk, raw milk, and many dishes that everyone will love. The cake recipe below seems too delicious to be true. It is something I use for very special occasions such as a child's birthday. This ground cacao is not extremely sweet, it is definitely not bitter and it is very rich in chocolate. We think it is delicious and a perfect blend.

Chocolate Recipes

Easy Hot Chocolate

Per Serving
Dissolve 4 Tbsp. Ground Chocolate with Muscovado in 3/4 cup freshly boiled water. Stir until completely dissolved. Add coconut milk/cream, cow or goat milk/cream - Serve Hot.

Easy Milk Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. Coconut Oil (or Grass Fed Butter)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups pastry or golden 86 whole wheat flour
  (up to 1/2 cup may be coconut flour)
• 1 1/3 cups muscovado (natural, unprocessed sugar)
• 1 1/2 cups ground chocolate (ground cacao)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 2 fresh eggs
• 1/3 cup coconut cream or heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp coconut vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Procedure:

1. Prepare 2 greased and floured or lined 8x8 round pans
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
3. In a small bowl mix cream with vinegar
4. In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine ground chocolate (ground cacao) coconut oil or butter, and boiling water. Stir until chocolate is melted.
5. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, muscovado sugar, baking soda, and salt. With a fork or wire whisk stir to blend thoroughly.
6. Blend eggs, soured cream and vanilla. Add to flour mixture. Add chocolate mixture and beat entire batter vigorously by hand for two minutes (or with electric beater on medium speed for 1 minute).
7. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. (In my oven it takes about 20 minutes, if you bake it too long it is just not as moist. Check the center with a toothpick, it should come out clean). Cool completely on cake rack.
8. Frost if desired (The Coconut Spread with a little muscovado sugar and a touch of cacao powder is wonderful)

   This chocolate (ground cacao nibs) carries the stamp of more than a century of high quality chocolate processing and manufacture. Because every chocolate product is ground only from organically grown plantation cocoa beans from Davao, with all the cocoa butter intact, you are assured that the real taste and aroma of naturally grown and roasted whole cacao beans will always be fully experienced. It is ground with a natural, truly unprocessed Muscovado made from sugar cane.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Here are some links you may find interesting. They of course will tell you how standard chocolates are made - how the industry does it

• Click here for a "Chocolate Technical Brief" done by a technology development company in the UK.
• Chocolate 101 from "Foodie's Corner will probably be interesting reading for you as well.
• All about Chocolate: Production of Chocolate from Cacao
• Chocolate: What is it? and how is it made?
• Glossary of Cocoa related terms
• Chocolate definitions for the United States