Benefits of Raw Cacao

We couldn’t wait to get to Mexico and learn about their longevity/beauty trends; and when we discovered the country was also one the originators of  ‘chocolate’- it was like Christmas had come early.

 It turns out the cacao tree was firstly grown in southeast Mexico. However the name ‘cocoa’ was derived from their word ‘kakawa’ and means “food of the gods”. The Mayans saw the cacao beans to be sacred and would often sell them for money among other things. From then on it’s believed chocolate became a huge part of the Mayan culture and was also adapted into many of their religious rituals.

 When we think of chocolate the initial thing that generally comes to mind is a chocolate bar- right? This isn’t the caste with the Mayas, they originally used chocolate strictly for drinking (see below for maya hot choc recipe) and it’s only in more recent times chocolate has been eaten in solids.

Benefits of Raw Cacao the Mayan Superfood:

“Cacao was considered so nutritious that Mayan kings drank up to 30 cups a day to maintain their vigor and virility”. The believed health benefits of cacao are enormous and include the below:

• Can improve brain function
• Can improve the flow of blood
• Natural energy booster
• Contains vitamins, including B1, B2, B3, B5, B9 and E
• Such as magnesium, and other essential minerals as calcium, zinc, iron, copper, potassium andmanganese.
• Cacao has phenylethylanime, which is the chemical that makes you feel like you’re in love.

(In order for these benefits to occur the cacao must be raw)

 Mexican hot chocolaterecipe (show-co-la-til) - via godivachocolates
 

1. Remove beans from cocoa pods.
2. Ferment and dry them.
3. Roast them on a griddle until done.
4. Remove the shells and grind the seeds into a fine paste.
5. Mix paste with water, chili peppers, and cornmeal.
6. Pour the resulting concoction back and forth from pot to cup until frothy foam develops on top.
7. Serve with pride in finely decorated earthenware cups.