The journey of chocolate from bean to bar is a complicated one. Cacao beans grow only in the narrowest of regions north and south of the equator.
They have to be picked by hand before being fermented, roasted, ground, pressed, mixed with fat and sugar and turned into a range of treats from confections to cookies and cakes.
On the other hand, raw chocolate omits much of this refining, and the process stops right after fermentation, leaving you with the whole cacao nib intact.
“When it’s raw, it means it hasn’t been roasted,” explains Tove Redeby, creator of Cacao Now’s raw chocolate energy treats at Squamish Farmers’ Market.
“Conventionally, the cacao is roasted to a really high temperature… and when it is roasted it loses a lot of its nutritional value.”
The nutritional benefits that raw cacao is reputed to have include the preservation of nutrients such as iron, zinc, magnesium, copper and vitamin C.
Additionally, when eating it, you might also feel like you’re falling in love.
“Raw cacao also has components that resemble our happy hormones… the hormones that are used in the body when we fall in love and when we do physical exercise,” says Redeby. “So, the whole myth of chocolate being related to love is actually true. You do get some of that when you eat conventional chocolate as well, but it’s just way less. Most of it has been lost in the heating process.”
And there’s more to love about Cacao Now than just going weak at the knees with each bite. Redeby has studied nutrition and has created raw chocolate treats geared towards active Squamish folk.
“My Ka-pow bites are true energy bites,” she says. “They are specifically put together to work great as sport nutrition. They don’t have any nuts – just seeds and hemp hearts – so are a little faster to digest, which is why they can be used as energy bars for any activity.”
They come in a variety of flavours including vanilla, orange and an exciting combination of lemon and hot chili. But they change from time to time, so if you see one you like, don’t hang around.
Also popular are Redeby’s macaroons which makes a nice treat for any market-goer.
Redeby has been present at Squamish Farmers’ Market since the summer of 2012, but her journey began on a different continent entirely.
“It started when I went to Peru,” she says. “I was there to do something else, but ended up visiting a cacao farm.”
While there, she had a profound personal experience that fuelled her passion for raw cacao.
On returning to Squamish, she teamed up with a friend, and together they started at the market. Initially they sold raw chocolate shakes, but over the years, Redeby’s passion for the healing power of food has helped drive and inspire the evolution of Cacao Now into specialising in raw chocolate treats.
Redeby also explains that all of her ingredients are Fair Trade and organic, a cause close to her heart.
“I really believe I have to stay with my beliefs in every little detail.”
To try one of Redeby’s raw chocolate treats, visit Cacao Now at Squamish Farmers’ Market on Oct 18 and 25, and throughout the winter market at its new home inside Squamish Elementary School (alternate Saturdays starting November 8).
