Cacao Beans, Organic, 100g (Pearls of Samarkand)

Organic, Raw Cacao Beans

• Cacao beans (un-roasted cocoa beans) are the main component of chocolate.
• Can be eaten as they are or combined with fruit and nuts.
• Bitter sweet in flavour and aroma (like the very darkest bitter chocolate).
• Resealable pouch.

Cacao beans are the seed of the cocoa fruit. Pearls of Samarkand's Cacao Beans have been fermented after harvest to reduce their bitterness. They are then gently dried and packed.

These cacao beans are a raw food product and contain beneficial trace minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorus as well as polyphenols.

The Taste

When you open the pouch, the wonderful familiar aroma of dark chocolate (that bitter/sweet) is the first thing you can't help but notice. The beans have a fantastic crunch and are, so far, the least bitter tasting raw, dried cacao we have tried. Do note that cacao beans do not taste of chocolate and are still nevertheless fairly bitter.

These cacao beans differ slightly, but not hugely, from cocoa beans. "Cocoa" refers to the roasted bean, whereas these cacao beans are dried, but not roasted. They have a slightly stronger flavour because they retain more of their natural oils. Cocoa beans and cacao beans can be used interchangeably, with preference being a matter of taste.

Cacao beans can be eaten as a snack (as you would nibble on a handful of nuts), and are best when accompanied by dried berries. They can be added to your breakfast cereal (best combined with rich-flavoured fruits such as cherries, goji berries, cranberries or blueberries).