Recently we’ve been getting reports that our four newest flavors have been making their way onto store shelves across the country. There is one flavor that seems to be the darling here at Bliss Headquarters: Mocha Maca Crunch.
We can’t seem to keep it stocked in our employee freezer for more than a day or two! It is a luscious blend of Bliss made with Coffee, Cacao Nibs, Maca, and Mesquite. So what the heck is a Cacao nib exactly? Maca? Mesquite? Not to worry, we’re here to demystify all of these superfoods for you. First off, check out this video of Marc, our national sales manager, as he talks about the exotic and beautiful Cacao Nib.
Our cacao nibs are gently sweetened with low glycemic coconut sugar (see our other new ingredient spotlight on coconut sugar for more info). We source them from a wonderful raw super foods company called Earth Circle Organics. They in turn source them from Big Tree Farms, which works with small scale farmers in Bali. The Cacao Nibs are guaranteed raw. They are harvested from the trees, allowed to ripen in the pod, opened, and dried slowly (never above 102 degrees) in wooden boxes in dehydration machines in the communal resource, non-profit cacao processing facility in Indonesia.
Big Tree Farms is often referred to as beyond Fair Trade, by developing sustainable supply chains through partnerships with local non-profits and International Development Programs. They have created the world’s first 100% vertically integrated small farmer cacao supply chain. No other company can guarantee the same level of social, ecological, or processing quality and transparency. With 3,000+ cooperative cacao farmers, they have increased income over 30% for these farmers, while supporting small scale sustainable agriculture.
Bali is one of the last remaining under-commercialized, under-manipulated origins of cacao on earth. In Bali, cacao found the perfect eco-system to thrive in: diverse, shady, damp and cool, and it is one of the early plantings of cacao outside of its native southern Mexico. It typically grows under a canopy of coconuts, mango, durian, and alongside coffee, papayas, and bananas with vanilla orchid vines climbing through the branches….creating a gorgeous synergistic plant ecosystem.
Cacao is in the genus Theobroma, which literally translates to “Food of the Gods”. It has been used for eating and drinking since ancient times. Because of the chemical makeup, cacao creates a sense of physical and emotional well being. As Marc mentioned in the video, it is full of the “Bliss Chemical”—anandamide. It is one of the most chemically complex superfoods, and contains over 300 compounds. It’s high in anti-oxidants, rich in minerals, and a natural source of magnesium, chromium, iron, calcium, potassium, sulphur, copper and zinc.
photo courtesy of Lulu's Chocolates: http://www.luluschocolate.com/
Every pint of Mocha Maca Crunch is speckled with plenty of nibs to satisfy your chocolate desires and provide a satisfying crunch. The bittersweet nibs give a perfect balance to the soft and luscious base of coconut milk, agave, coffee, maca, mesquite, and vanilla. We hope you'll enjoy it as much as we have -- let us know what you think.
