Raw Cacao question... - Raw Food Chat

Doktormartini · 01-12-2008

I have some raw cacao powder and I've been reading about how it's pretty much the best food ever for you but here is my question. I made some hot tea and put some raw cacao in there. Does the hot water mess with the raw cacao in a negative way? I've read in books about making teas using cacao but I dunno if it's ok to make hot tea with it. Thanks all.

rawitup · 01-12-2008

i would think heating it up in the tea would mess with it's nutritional properties, especially if the tea is still piping hot when you mix it in. maybe if the tea is cooled down a bit and is under 110 degrees. considering raw food is not meant to be heated above that temperature if it is to be truly raw and have all of it's nutrional value left in it. just making an educated guess, hope that helps. anyone else feel free to jump in and give a more thorough answer.

Doktormartini · 01-12-2008

That is kinda what I was thinking as well.

Double Helix · 01-13-2008

If the water is to hot for your finger, then it's going to cook the cocoa.

Also, cocoa isn't really the best food ever, it's not fresh, it's been processed and packaged and shipped across the world to us. I'll give it tasty and addicting though! LOL!!!

Doktormartini · 01-13-2008

How has it been proccessed? I do agree it was shipped all over though.

Double Helix · 01-13-2008

The cocoa bean has to be extracted from the (what I heard is delicious) fruit, dried under leaves and/or fermented, then ground up. The temperature under the leaves gets extremely high and the rawness of it is actually questionable. Not sure of the whole process, but it doesn't come to us in its natural form.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoa

Doktormartini · 01-14-2008

Yes but I bought mine from a website that only sells raw things and it's labeled raw.

Double Helix · 01-14-2008

I remember reading a debate on another forum about just how hot it gets when the beans are left in the sun to ferment under the leaves.

It's probably a lot better than the regular brand at the grocery store, but for a while there I was buying regular organic cocoa from my health food store due to the price. I think we'll be seeing it offered more at our local health food stores.

Anyway, I like the Nativas brand, they actually have all their certifications up on their site and test all the time for purity.

http://www.navitasnaturals.com/certifications.html

Doktormartini · 01-14-2008

I get mine from www.naturalzing.com it seems like a good place.