Is there such a thing as 'raw cocoa’?

Over the last few years, the world of healthy eating has gradually begun to adopt a certain consensus regarding so-called "highly processed foods". Namely that it is, in principle, the worst ('junk'!) kind of food. Indeed, as modern medicine indicates, the consumption of food that is deep-fried, full of saturated fats and lacking in fibre and vitamins has a negative impact on our digestive system, raises cholesterol and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease [1, 2] and possibly even depression [3]; unprocessed food, on the other hand, i.e. fruit and vegetables, fish full of valuable fatty acids, groats and whole-grain bread have a beneficial effect on the functioning of many systems in our body. So, according to the principle "you are what you eat", it would seem that it is always worth betting on what is unprocessed: fresh, natural and raw. However, as with any general dietary rule, similar simplifications can lead us astray.

So let's talk about raw cacao.

As an unprocessed product, raw cacao, whose health-promoting properties we wrote about here (link), is a great candidate to hit the list of products worth eating. Unfortunately, however, there has recently been some controversy surrounding the term 'raw' in relation to delicious products based on the cacao fruit. To be more precise, it can be questioned whether the preparations (sic!) sold under the name 'raw cacao' or 'cacao paste' are actually raw. And if they are not, are they worth consuming? What does it mean for cocoa to be raw? Are there raw cacao beans? Is cacao paste worth consuming? We explain.

The cocoa production process

We have written about the process of cocoa production here (link), but it is worth reminding you in telegraphic detail exactly what it involves. Let's start with the cacao fruit itself, full of precious beans. It is from these that the full-flavoured, full-fat cocoa will soon be produced, which - and this we can be sure of - will not be flavoured with any additives such as sugar, flavourings or colourings during the process described here. This also works the other way round: during the production of raw cocoa, no intermediate products, including naturally occurring fats, are deliberately removed from the beans. However, the beans are subjected to certain treatments that would cast doubt on its 'raw' state.

What are these treatments?

Firstly, we are talking about fermentation, which in its traditional form involves wrapping the seeds in banana leaves and placing them in a wooden box, where yeast, bacteria and other micro-organisms break down the sugars in the seeds [4, 6]. This fermentation would have occurred anyway - the methods used by cocoa manufacturers only help to control the process and enhance the final flavour of the finished product. However, this is already where some controversy arises, because according to the popular definition of unprocessed food, it should not be heated to a temperature higher than 48 degrees Celsius [4, 5]. Meanwhile, as Robbie Stout, one of the founders of the Ritual Chocolate company, points out, even in the fermentation process itself, the beans reach temperatures higher than this magic limit. This is also confirmed by other sources [5, 6]. So if the fermentation itself takes place under such warm conditions, let alone… roasting!

That's right, because the second process the seeds undergo after fermentation is roasting, a procedure that raises the temperature of the seeds to well above the 50-degree mark. Roasting, however, is an optional process, as cocoa is always subjected to another treatment that may be quite sufficient, namely: drying. Unfortunately, however, there is controversy here too: according to some manufacturers, unroasted (and therefore only dried) cocoa is produced below 48 degrees Celsius; according to others, even drying raises the temperature of the seeds above this limit [4].

Opinions are similarly divided on the grinding of the beans, during which friction alone raises the temperature of the product [4]. However, it seems that, whether we want it or not, the fermentation of cocoa itself excludes it from the list of truly raw products. "The only cacao that is truly raw," says Greg D'Alessandre, founder of Dandelion Chocolate, "is the cacao seeds as they are taken out of the cacao fruit." However, the beans in this state are at least unpalatable [4] and even inedible [5].

The above information would therefore indicate that 'raw cocoa', sold in paste or roasted seed form, does not exist. However, before making a final judgment, let us consider the problem a little more deeply.

"Raw" - which is basically what?

As Gustavo Cerna, a cocoa producer from Nicaragua, points out, the term 'raw cocoa' has not only confused chocolate flavour fans, but is now used far too freely [4]. In fact, it can be said with a high degree of certainty that there is no (edible) raw cocoa and every cocoa product is processed to some degree. But does this immediately remove cacao paste (ceremonial cacao) and other products available under the name 'raw' from the list of foods worth eating?

As the producers of Santa Barbara Chocolate point out, the mere fact that a product has been fermented and heated to a (relatively) high temperature, and then subjected to roasting and drying, may make it no longer 'raw', but it is still… as close to the raw state as possible [5]! This means that when we eat 'raw' cocoa, we are eating a product that has undergone only those procedures that make it edible - and not one more. Let's remember that food can be processed in a variety of ways and, although in the interests of our health we will choose steaming rather than deep-frying, certain types of food cannot be consumed without undergoing some - even minimal - processing. That said, it is also worth noting that it is possible to choose to consume cocoa only dried and not roasted [4]. Finally, some cocoa beans still undergo alkalinisation after fermentation, drying and grinding, but this process robs the product of some of its valuable properties, so some producers have abandoned this part of the processing [6].

Raw cocoa - a question of definition

Although the above considerations suggest that there is no such thing as raw cocoa, we at Chocante recommend some caution. After all, it is difficult to look at food in zero-one terms: food is rarely unequivocally healthy or unequivocally unhealthy. The same is true of the issue of raw cocoa, which, incidentally, is strongly linked to health-promoting issues. Cocoa may never be truly raw, but that does not necessarily make it unworthy of consumption. On the other hand, if we consider as unprocessed food products that have undergone only the absolutely necessary processes, cocoa paste and other products offered by producers of real cocoa certainly meet this less stringent criterion.

From our own sources, we know that the producers themselves deplore the confusion surrounding the term 'raw cocoa', even treating it as a marketing ploy. Let's say it again: truly raw cocoa is not only unpalatable, it is also inedible and may even be harmful: according to some sources, only the roasting process kills the mycotoxins and dangerous bacteria present in fermented beans [8] and, of course, it also gives the food its unique flavour. The range for products such as cocoa paste or cocoa beans for crunching therefore includes cocoa that is as close to raw as possible. This is cocoa that is 'almost raw' [7], edible and safe.

Ultimately, then, the problem of 'rawness' is a problem of definition. If you love raw products and cacao, care about your health and are mindful of the fact that not every processing of a food must strip it of its valuable properties, real cacao remains a great choice for you. We settle the matter as follows and perhaps somewhat paradoxically: there is no such thing as raw cocoa. Unless, of course, you are talking about the most raw cocoa possible - which we strongly recommend!