Suggested uses

Basic prep

Storage & handling

Store in cool, dry place.

Ingredients

Cocoa Nibs.

Cocoa Nibs are crushed pieces of the beans (seeds, really) which grow inside the fruit of the evergreen cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), the source of chocolate. A complicated process of roasting, fermenting, grinding and other processing turns these seeds into what we know as chocolate.

Cacao trees are native to equatorial Central American and have been cultivated in that region going back to the Mayans and possibly even the Olmec civilization before that.

The blossoms of the cacao tree grow directly on the tree's trunk. When properly pollinated a blossom develop into pods (the fruit of the cacao tree) which take around 6 months to ripen. Ripe pods grow up to 14-inches long and are roughly football or melon shaped. They are vibrantly colored with a leathery rind that is nearly 1-inch thick. Each pod contains 20 to 60 cacao beans growing within a pulpy membrane (which may be eaten itself when fresh or used to create a mildly alcoholic beverage). After harvesting, the beans are roasted, then fermented and then dried on the estates where they are grown before being shipped abroad to processors who use them to make chocolate.

Our Cocoa Nibs are made from these dried fermented roasted cacao beans that are simply cracked and crushed into the coarse, irregular pieces smaller than 1/2-inch across. Cacao beans are significantly less processed than the finished chocolate they're so closely associated with, and as such maintain much of their natural, rich nutrient content. They are a great source of fiber, but they're also rich in minerals like iron and magnesium and are a great source of antioxidants.