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According to The New York Times, the Caribbean is
currently a hot-spot for those seeking to hop from island to island to enjoy
the very best of the Caribbean cocoa industry: “From Tobago to Dominica,
Grenada to St. Vincent, the Caribbean cocoa industry, which has roots in
colonial times, is being revitalized. This is excellent news economically: With
free trade having all but destroyed the islands’ banana and sugar industries,
fair-trade farming initiatives are a welcome boon.” The world price of cocoa
has been soaring in the past few years, owing in no small part to the growing
size of the middle class in emerging markets. Seekingalpha.com notes that “The emerging middle class has made chocolate into an
affordable, everyday treat. Meanwhile, new products, improved transportation
and better infrastructure have eased the distribution of confections.” Within
the booming chocolate market, Caribbean cocoa is very much the gold standard,
and there is no doubt that this dark, delicious ingredient is attracting
fervent foodies from far and wide.
Dark (preferably raw) Caribbean chocolate is one
of the healthiest foods you could possibly treat yourself with. This product is
highly nutritious, boasting three times the amount of antioxidants contained in
green tea. Builtlean.com notes that raw chocolate “contains many
important vitamins and minerals including Magnesium and other essential
minerals, including calcium, sulphur, zinc, iron, copper, potassium and
manganese; polyphenols called flavonoids with antioxidant properties, Vitamins
B1, B2, B3, B5, B9, E; protein; and fibre.” The ‘food of the Gods’ is an ideal
choice for everyone, particularly those who need a nutritional boost. Raw
chocolate and other nutritional foods make up an important part of the diet of
those undergoing rehabilitation for substance abuse, for instance. Addiction
takes a major toll on the body, preventing users from absorbing important
nutrients, and damaging both their immune systems and vital organs. This is
largely because of the large amounts of toxins even common ‘soft drugs’
contain. Not only do drugs affect one’s physical state, they also affect our
mental wellbeing. Rehabs.com states that “Marijuana use is strongly
associated with stunted emotional development” To boost the health of our body
and mind, it is vital to consume a diet which is very high in antioxidants. Raw
chocolate can play a vital role in fighting free radicals and detoxifying the
body. If you’d like to include a little of its magic in your daily life, try
the following recipe for raw chocolate truffles…
Ingredients:
1 cup Medjool dates
¼ cup hemp seeds
3/4 cup walnuts
¼ teaspoon sea salt
5 tablespoons raw Caribbean cacao/cocoa powder
¼ cup cocoa powder or icing sugar to roll the
truffles in
Instructions:
Process the walnuts in a food processor. Cut the
dates into quarters and place in a bowl. Add the processed walnuts and hemp
seeds and mash until a uniform mixture is formed. Roll into balls and roll
again in the extra cocoa powder, or roll lightly in icing sugar.
Note: The truffles are a five-minute recipe, but
if you wish to add a little sophistication to the recipe and up its health
benefits, you may wish to roll the truffles in superfoods like Goji berries,
desiccated or shredded coconut or finely chopped nuts. Those into essential
oils love adding a tiny drop of edible essential oils like bergamot, mandarin or orange, to
add a touch of chocolate orange magic to the recipe. If you are new to
essential oils and wish to harness their benefits, make sure to use only
therapeutic grade essential oils and use them sparingly. Just one drop of lemon
essential oil in a full glass of water, for instance, has a very strong taste,
so err on the cautious side when adding these oils to truffles for the first
time, testing a half a drop of essential oil on a small batch of truffles
before adding them to the entire mixture.
By Laura
Chapman
Copyright 2014 Caribbean E-Magazine All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without credit..
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