Rainforest Foods Organic Peruvian Cacao Powder 250g

Cacao is the raw base for chocolate manufacture. However, in its own right it is a truly remarkable food. It is packed with antioxidants and other phytonutrients, to make a powerful and delicious contribution to a healthy diet. For too long this amazing nutritional phenomenon has been ignored, hidden behind the fat and sugar of its processed relative, chocolate. However, awareness of its remarkable nutritional profile is growing, and increasing numbers of people are putting this fantastic food at the core of a healthy diet. Rainforest Foods uses only Criollo Cacao, often referred to as the 'Queen of Cacao' for its high quality. Cacao is extraordinarily rich in antioxidants, even more so than Acai berry. Science has investigated Cacao extensively. One well-regarded study looked at its effects on a people indigenous to Panama, comparing a group given to drinking large quantities of home-prepared Cacao with another exhibiting more modern dietary habits. The results were startling: the Cacao-consuming group exhibited much lower rates of stroke, cardiovascular disease and cancer than the other. 50% of Cacao’s mass is made up of three fats. However, they are all harmless to us. One is Oleic acid, the fat found in olive oil. The others – Stearic and Palmitic acids – are believed not to cause cholesterol buildup. The harmful effects of chocolate are caused by the fat and sugars added during its manufacture. Rainforest Foods Cacao nibs are unprocessed. They are Cacao beans, simply broken into small pieces. Optimum nutrition is retained. Cacao contains several amino acids, including Tryptophan. Cacao is also rich in Magnesium. Cacao powder is lightly processed, to remove its fat content. This results in slightly less nutrition than beans or nibs, as a trade off for its low-fat status. 

This pouch contains 250g of Organic Peruvian Cacao powder (Theobroma cacao). This product is Vegan Society certified, Soil Association Organic Certified and for every pack sold Rainforest Foods will donate funds to Rainforest Concern to purchase one square meter of cloud forest to expand the Neblina Reserve in Ecuador. Cacao, or Cocoa, is the fruit of a small, evergreen tree called Theobroma cacao. It grows in tropical climates, particularly in South America. Cacao is best-known as the base material in chocolate production, but has in recent years become known as a highly nutritious food in its own right. Cacao is a source of antioxidant flavanoids - the cacao flavanoid group is known collectively as flavanols. The antioxidant provision of foods is measured on a scale referred to as ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity). Cacao has an exceptionally high ORAC score. It is also significantly rich in magnesium and fats such as Oleic acid, the fat found in olive oil. Rainforest Foods Cacao is produced by organic growers in Peru. It is harvested by hand as pods. These are broken apart and the pulp surrounding the beans allowed to ferment. It eventually runs away as liquid. The fermentation not only removes the pulp but also reduces the beans' bitterness. The beans are then cleaned, dried, roasted and peeled, before being ground into Cacao paste. This is pressed, separating it into Cacao butter and Cacao cake. The cake is ground finely into Cacao powder. Since it began, Rainforest Foods' purpose has been to help people combine good nutrition with modern living. Realising that a return to time-rich living close to the land is just not possible, we have sourced a range of wholefoods whose exceptional nutritional richness can support modern lifestyles rather than forcing them to change. We look all around the world for these foods, and have them processed in a way that keeps as much nutrition as possible while making them convenient for you to use.