about cacao
So you know and love chocolate – whether it’s a gourmet bean-to-bar, a cheeky Cadbury’s, or a cup of rich hot chocolate, you’ve probably enjoyed more than a few chocolate treats in your time.
But you might be missing out on one way to indulge without the guilt!
Did you know that when chocolate beans are roasted, chocolatiers only use the crunchy seed inside, called the nib?
Traditionally, though, the outer shell was also used, creating an intensely aromatic, bittersweet cacao “tea” that has all the taste and none of the calories of chocolate!
The ancient Aztecs and Maya were sure on to something there…
all about cacao
From the ancient Maya to your mug of hot chocolate, cacao has a long history of being a decadent indulgence.
But with cacao “tea” (really a tisane, but who’s counting?), you can have all the flavour with none of the guilt.
Click on one of the categories below to learn more!
health benefits
Quit worrying about the latest food trend—cacao is a superfood with a millenia-long track record! That’s because brewed cacao contains a host of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Cacao tea is rich in potassium, magnesium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, and substances like phenolic phytochemicals and flavonoids that have been proven to support heart and brain health. In fact, cacao has higher concentrations of antioxidants than other well-known sources like green tea and red wine!
The theobromine in cacao not only helps perk you up, but studies also show it increases serotonin production, giving you a long-lasting mood boost. Other studies indicate that theobromine can help prevent coughs, soothe asthma, and lower blood pressure. For some people, theobromine can help alleviate headaches, since it’s known to dilate blood vessels.
For more on all the many health benefits of cacao, check out this great website.
flavour
So what does brewed cacao taste like? Well, it smells like amazingly rich chocolate. But once you sip, you’ll know it’s like nothing you’ve ever tasted before. This is not thick, creamy hot chocolate, sweet hot cocoa, or any other chocolate drink you’ve ever tried (unless you happen to be an ancient Mayan….). Brewed cacao has a mouthfeel much like tea; a dark, robust taste with a hint of sweetness; and a slightly bitter finish—like 72% chocolate with a little extra edge to it.
Don’t dig the super-bold routine? Try adding a hint of sweetener (sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave, monkfruit, and stevia all work well) or a touch of cream, milk, or nut milk.
caffeine
Some sources say that brewed cacao is caffeine-free. We don’t want to start any arguments, but there is a bit of caffeine in the part of the cacao bean that we use to brew with—up to the amount in a cup of coffee. More importantly, though, brewed cacao is very high in theobromine, a stimulant chemical compound called a xanthine that’s closely related to caffeine. Theobromine is only found in cacao products, like cacao tea and chocolate.
It’s commonly considered a milder stimulant than caffeine, but it remains in your system longer and therefore perks you up for longer.
Theobromine can help wake you up, improve your mood (due to its serotonin-stimulating properties), reduce your blood pressure, and soothe a cough or asthma.
As with any stimulant, theobromine and caffeine affect everyone differently. Try having a cup of brewed cacao in the morning instead of your usual coffee or tea and see how it affects you, then adjust from there! Some people love brewed cacao as a treat after dinner, while others find they can’t drink it after 4pm.
Regardless of when you finish the last drop, we’re sure you’re going to be craving your next cup of chocolatey goodness!
how to brew
It’s simple! Just steep one heaping tablespoon of Novel Tastes Cacao per cup, brewing for 6-10 minutes. Stir and enjoy!
You can also make a cold brew by mixing a quarter cup (about 4 tablespoons) into 500ml of cool water and allowing the brew to steep at least 8 hours, preferably up to 24 for the most flavour. Strain and sip!
For more on how to brew cacao, check out our handy guide.
origins
Novel Tastes Cacao is all-natural and comes from fair trade sources; in fact, our cacao comes from many of the same sources as the best single-origin artisan chocolate in the world.
Right now, though, we don’t offer certified single-origin cacao, because we haven’t found one that meets our exacting taste requirements. Instead, we blend our cacao specifically to create a great drink.
Bottoms up!