Nutrient Dense Ingredients: Wild / Organic Cacao Nut
Read a detailed breakdown of the taste, culinary use and recipes, main nutrient levels, scientific research and health benefits, top quality online sourcing options, how to grow organic cacao nuts in a garden, and where to wildcraft.
Cacao Taste, Culinary Use, and Recipes
Cacao nut, though often incorrectly called a bean, like all nuts is rich in oils. They have a very strong earthy and bitter flavor almost reminiscent of coffee. When properly prepared (i.e. fermented) the bitter flavor goes down.
They can be used in many different ways such as in healthy chocolate treats, blended in smoothies and drinks, as part of a healthy breakfast cereal, or mixed with other nuts as part of a trail mix.
Nutrient Dense Recipes With Cacao Nut
~ Chocolate Hazelnut Milk
~ Coconut Flour Brownies
Cacao Nutrient Levels
Data below is for 2 tablespoons of cacao nibs and is compiled from the USDA FoodData Central and CheckYourFood.com.
Macronutrients
~ Fatty acids: 10g (15% RDA)
~ Carbohydrates: 8g (7% of RDA)
~ Amino acids: 2g (4% RDA)
Micronutrients
~ Iron: 3.84mg (30% RDA)
~ Copper: 0.336mg (24% RDA)
~ Manganese: 0.372mg (13% RDA)
~ Magnesium: 43.68mg (12% RDA)
~ Fiber: 3g (10% RDA)
~ Phosphorus: 59.04mg (9% RDA)
~ Good source of the phytochemicals quercetin, anandamide, theobromine, and various flavanols.
Cacao Research and Benefits
Cacao nuts have many proven health benefits with the most well researched being support of cognitive and cardiovascular health.
Review Study Title: The neuroprotective effects of cocoa flavanol and its influence on cognitive performance. (Source)
Review Study Title: Chocolate and the brain: neurobiological impact of cocoa flavanols on cognition and behavior. (Source)
Clinical Study Title: Effect of cocoa flavanols and exercise on cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight and obese subjects. (Source)
Clinical Study Title: Effect of dark chocolate on arterial function in healthy individuals. (Source)
Clinical Study Title: Protective effects of flavanol-rich dark chocolate on endothelial function and wave reflection during acute hyperglycemia. (Source)
Cacao Sourcing, Growing, and Wildcrafting
Online Sourcing
Below are the sources I use and recommend
~ Organic fermented cacao nibs
Growing Organically at Home
Purchase a fruiting tree online and plant in a home garden. Cacao trees need very specific conditions to thrive, mainly protection from sun and wind, which is why in the wild they are found in the shady understory of tropical and semi-tropical rainforests.
In the United States, that means the tree can only be grown outdoors in USDA zones 10-13.This includes Hawaii, southern Florida, southern California, southern Texas, and Puerto Rico. If you don’t live in these zones, you can grow them in a greenhouse. Here is a great article from Gardening Know How about growing cacao trees.
Wildcrafting
I had the good fortune to harvest and enjoy wild cacao nuts while living in Hawaii but the main areas where you will find them are southern Central America and northern South America.