Raw chocolate: the new frontier of chocolate
In an increasingly gourmet era, among surprising combinations, innovative manufacturing processes and craftsmanship, one of the most popular trends is that of raw chocolate. Nothing mysterious.
How is chocolate made?
Before going on to talk about what raw chocolate is, let’s take a brief look at the process of making a chocolate bar out of a cocoa bean. The beans, after harvesting, are fermented, dried, cleaned and toasted. Subsequently, we pass to the decortication phase, crushing and mixing with other ingredients, before conching and tempering: important phases to ensure that the chocolate loses its acid charge and obtains the right consistency.
What is raw chocolate?
It will be easy to understand that the specific characteristic of raw chocolate is that the roasting phase is missing in the manufacturing process. The result? Basically, there are two consequences that derive from it: one concerns the taste, the other the properties of chocolate.
From a taste point of view, roasting at high temperatures serves, in addition to reducing the bacterial load and humidity, above all to release the aromas to the cocoa bean. For this reason raw chocolate, which is not toasted, has a more delicate and clean aroma, a more acidity and a higher humidity.
On the other hand, raw chocolate is particularly loved by those who follow a natural diet and love to taste foods full of nutritional values. In fact, since the roasting phase is missing, raw chocolate keeps all the beneficial properties of cocoa intact: it is therefore very rich in antioxidants, minerals, enzymes,
amino acids such as magnesium, vitamin C, serotonin and phenylethylamine.
Characteristics of raw chocolate and benefits
True raw chocolate is generally recognized with a single glance as its powder is lighter and reddish than traditional cocoa. In the form of a tablet, on the other hand, it has a dark brown appearance due to the presence of some ingredients – such as vanilla – which alter its color.
Raw chocolate is a valuable ally of the muscles, the cardiovascular system and the nervous system. Thanks to the presence of magnesium it helps to relax muscle tension, prevents cramps and lowers blood pressure.
Moderate consumption of this food helps to reduce the levels of “bad” cholesterol in the blood as well as the risk of diseases such as stroke and heart attack. It contributes to slowing down the cellular aging processes due to the action of free radicals and promotes good mood. On the other hand which chocolate does not?
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