Unroasted cacao contains more vitamins and minerals, more ‘happy compounds,’ and more antioxidants.

Cacao Now uses only raw, unroasted cacao, as we firmly believe in the medicinal power and nutritional value of raw, unroasted cacao.

There are many questions surrounding raw cacao production. So what is ‘raw’ cacao?

Though the word raw simply means uncooked, the modern raw food movement actually defines raw foods as unprocessed, whole foods which have not been heated above 48° C (118° F).

However, the raw food temperature limit of 48° C is usually surpassed any time cacao beans are fermented. So, for anyone following a strict raw food regimen, choosing to eat ‘raw cacao’ can be a tricky decision.

But there’s a good reason behind not exceeding the 48° C fermentation limit. If cacao were kept below this temperature, its taste would be disagreeable or wholly unpalatable.

There are many proven health benefits to raw/fermented cacao vs. roasted cacao. When cacao is ingested raw, all of its nutrients are intact, as nutrients die when food is heated. More heat equals more nutrient loss.

The only way to achieve totally raw cacao is to skip fermentation and eat the bean straight out of the cacao pod. While these fresh unfermented beans are edible, they are not very tasty, have an unpleasant texture for chewing.

So what is marketed as ‘raw cacao’ is always unroasted, but it is fermented.

We make our raw chocolate with this unroasted cacao, in combination with other unheated, raw, minimally-processed ingredients.

At Cacao Now, we believe in raw cacao, and the term raw cacao.

There are many proven health benefits to raw/fermented cacao vs. roasted cacao. When cacao is ingested raw, all of its nutrients are intact, as nutrients die when food is heated. More heat equals more nutrient death. Raw foods, in general, contain more of their own life force and intelligence. And raw cacao contains more vitamins and minerals, more ‘happy compounds,’ and more antioxidants.

Food is a vital part of who we are. The more ‘alive’ the food we eat is, the more vibrance we will experience in our own health.

All the ingredients used in our products are unroasted, unrefined, whole and have not been processed.