Blog Archives

raw chocolate - what's it all about?

23/3/2017

Raw chocolate is made from sun drying cacao beans and cold-pressing them at less than 46°C. The cold-pressing method retains a lot more nutrients than roasting the beans does in the making of conventional chocolate. Raw chocolate is rich in natural anti-oxidants, minerals and healthy phyto-chemicals - including, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, zinc, iron, copper, potassium, and manganese. Plus vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B9 & E.
It's hard to describe the difference between raw and conventional chocolate, if you haven't tried both. In terms of flavour, raw chocolate is more intense and earthy. But that only partially describes the wonders of raw chocolate. Just try some.
These raw cacao beans are from La Iguana, a Costa Rican organic farm and social enterprise, courtesy of my friend Fan.

chocolate tea

21/3/2017

Chocolate 'tea' is a term that comes from the Caribbean. I've found different recipes and used slightly different techniques to make it. You can make it using water or milk. I prefer it made with water, as its quite rich.
The pictures show Colombian drinking chocolate and natural Jamaican drinking chocolate (which has added spices). I've tried making it using both types of chocolate, and both are good. There are big Latin and Caribbean communities in south London, so its fairly easy to find both types of chocolate in local stores.
The recipe below is a method my Mexican friend Carla showed me, using a molinillo, an ornate wooden stirrer.

CHOCOLATE TEA RECIPE

Measure in cups of water the amount of chocolate you want to make. Add to a pan.
Place a pan of water on the stove at a medium heat.
Add a square of chocolate per cup. If you use the Jamaican chocolate, you need to grate it into the water.
As the chocolate begins to melt, stir with wooden spoon (or molinillo) to blend it in the water. Mind the water doesn't over heat and burn the chocolate.
Add milk and sweetener of choice (optional)
Add spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, chili or all spice work well (optional). Serve.

COconut water kefir

19/3/2017

This has been a great success (unlike my experiments with Kvass). Water kefir grains contain beneficial bacteria and yeasts, which combined with the natural sugars of the fresh coconut water (plus some African ginger) make a beautiful, fermented, probiotic drink. Fermented food and drink can improve digestion and gut health.
We're now selling coconut water kefir, the first collaboration with our compadres at Alkaline Juice Factory, in Brixton.

the art of fermentation

16/3/2017

This book is fabulous. It describes fermentation techniques from across the globe in a brilliant way. The author Sandor Ellix Katz talks about fermentation as a kind of activism, speaking to small scale producers. Fermenting takes time, there's a lot of sharing of recipes, produce and skills. It's a way to make food last longer, as well as improving its nutritional value. Another food hero!

The grenada chocolate company

10/3/2017

If its possible to have a chocolate hero, then The Grenada Chocolate Company is mine. They grow bean-to-bar on the island of Grenada. Their chocolate is organic and the company offers ethical working conditions for its staff. They also manufacture using sustainable energy and transport their produce on sailing ships and bike. And their chocolate tastes lovely. Something to aspire to.

KVASS

7/3/2017

Kvass is an Eastern European fermented beetroot drink using salt as the active ingredient. As with the other fermented foods I've experimented with, kvass is beneficial to gut health.
My attempts at making kvass worked but, to me, the salty flavour was not good. I tried it on a few friends and all, except one, hated it. The colour is gorgeous, but I think this is a drink you have to have grown up with to love. I tried making it using carrot and ginger too - which tasted just as bad.
If you like a salty, sparkling beverage, then this one may be for you.

the Chocolate library

5/3/2017

Unlike most people, I have bars of chocolate that I use for research (honest!) and don't really eat. Friends bring me chocolate from abroad to help with my extensive research.
This Japanese bar is called Ghana. It made some Ghanaians angry at the use the country's name to promote a Japanese product. Especially since Ghana is the world's second largest cacao exporter. Being of Ghanaian descent, I don't mind, it made me laugh. I'll be posting more items from the chocolate library.

Cacao ghana-style

1/3/2017

I took these photos in Ghana, back in 2009, long before starting my raw chocolate micro-enterprise. I'd been to Wli Falls in Volta Region with family and we'd picked some cacao pods. Our friend Mohammed demonstrated the initial steps of processing cacao. Once harvested, the beans are left to ferment (usually under banana leaves) and dry before further processing.
I've always been fixated by the cacao grown in Ghana, and the idea of one day making chocolate. My quest is to find a source of Ghanaian raw cacao that I can use for the business.

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