Yes, but only a certain kind of chocolate. This cannot be said for all chocolate - many well-known brands are full of sugar and contain very little cacao goodness.
Pacari is different. A game-changer. Pacari turned around the entire industry in Ecuador. The industry changed from exporting cocoa - into a family-run business making chocolate with cacao beans. Pacari was at the heart of this change; making chocolate to export; ‘from tree to bar’, retaining the nutrition and taste of their world famous cacao.
Pacari chocolate contains high amounts of cacao, ranging from 60% to 100% in their chocolate, ticking all the boxes on the ‘healthy’ list of flavonoids, iron and antioxidants. This is in stark contrast to the low cocoa/high sugar branded chocolate bars dominating the marketplace. So, what’s the difference between cocoa and cacao?
Cocoa is highly heat processed, removing the flavonoids and antioxidants present in the raw cacao bean. On the other hand, cacao is cool processed, less refined and therefore more nutritious.
Pacari founders Santiago Peralta and Carla Barboto set out to make Ecuador recognised as a world class chocolate producer. With up to 250 awards won at the International Chocolate Awards, for many types of chocolate; raw, containing nibs, and fruit, mint, chilli, cardamom and many more, Pacari deserved to be crowned- ‘best chocolate in the world’.
But taste and nutrition is not what gives Pacari an edge for me? Nor the fact it’s organic, soy free, nut free, vegan, kosher and palm oil free.
No, It’s the simple fact it is produced in the most sustainable, ethical and fair way. Only 1% of today’s U.K. chocolate that is produced in a cacao producing country, returning 50% profits to its communities, compared to the other big brands selling us ‘bean to bar’ cocoa-made chocolate, just returning 7% to the growers.
Tasty, healthy and kind chocolate. Well done Pacari. But, these are just words- try it for yourself.
Mhairi Millar