About Cacao Nibs

Entire encyclopedias could be written about the different varieties and methods of preparing chocolate. One product of the chocolate industry has been gaining notoriety lately among chefs at fancy restaurants and slowly appearing in stores as well. Cocoa Nibs!

Cacao Beans before Roasting

Chocolate is made from cacao beans, which are first cleaned, then dried and roasted. While roasting, the beans crack and the kernels start separating from their shells. The little bits of cracked kernel are called Cocoa Nibs.  These little Nibs are the essence of the cacao bean and contain all the cacao solids and cacao butter that eventually becomes delicious candy bars.

Once completely separated from their shells, the Nibs are ground or crushed to liquefy the cacao butter and produce a thick paste that is often called chocolate liquor or chocolate liquid. The paste is pressed to remove the liquefied cacao butter and the powdery disk left behind is pulverized and turned into cacao powder. From this point, it is up to each manufacturer to decide what percentage of each to use, what flavourings to add, and how much sugar and milk.

Cacao Nibs

 The question is, why are all these extra ingredients added to something that is already one of the best dietary sources of magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, and potassium? In fact, when we crave chocolate, it usually means that our bodies are low on magnesium.  This is likely also why women crave chocolate during parts of their menstrual cycle, since not enough Magnesium in your diet is known to increase PMS symptoms.

Cacao Nibs have all the good parts of eating chocolate, plus additional fiber and without the added sugar. Theobromine for a healthy energy boost that is gentler on the body than caffeine. Tryptophan, aka “the stuff that makes everyone a chocoholic,” is known to quell anxiety and improve your mood. Chromium, a mineral that stabilizes blood sugar and reduces your appetite, and is extremely high in Flavanols, which are anti-oxidants that help make blood platelets less “sticky” and reduce the chances of clots, heart attacks, and strokes.

Eaten by themselves, Cacao Nibs are very similar to the macadamia nut. They are crunchy, but have a very smooth texture and feel cool to the tongue thanks to the cacao butter. If you’re a fan of dark chocolate, then you need to give these a try. Not a fan of eating them plain? They have been mixed into cookie dough and ice cream, sprinkled into salads, added to jams and marmalades, roasted on top of duck or lamb, and blended into smoothies. Pretty much anything where you would normally add chocolate, plus a lot of savory dishes that you would never have thought you could add chocolate.

As always, let us know if this would be something you’re interested in trying for yourself!