Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (70% Cacao) – Organic

Bittersweet Chocolate Chips contain at least 70% cacao, giving them a rich and intense cocoa flavor with less sweetness than semi-sweet varieties. Made with cocoa butter, sugar, and cocoa powder, they are a favorite choice for baking and dessert recipes. Their deep chocolate taste also makes them ideal for specialty treats, confections, and hot beverages.

Bittersweet, Organic, Dark Chocolate Chips (70% Cacao) 

Z Natural Foods takes pride in bringing our customers a wide range of foods from around the globe in their most versatile form, and our 70% cacao chips are no exception.

Our 70% cacao chips are created with meticulous care and attention. We start with the most decadent cacao powder from the finest cacao beans, which are then blended with the perfect amount of pure cane sugar and cacao butter. 

This process results in the most amazingly rich, silky, and bitter-sweet cacao chip, super rich in polyphenols. 

Our chips have a perfectly balanced flavor profile of bitter and sweet, with potent nutritive and antioxidant levels to match. This dedication to quality ensures that our cacao chips are perfect for all your “transitional” cacao needs.

Our mission is to provide the customer with great-tasting, highly functional foods with limitless application in their most versatile form to support a variety of lifestyles. So, we proudly introduce the newest member of our diverse functional food line, Z Natural Foods Bitter-Sweet 70% Cacao Chips.

Like your morning cup of coffee, the purest form provides the most significant benefits.

The more non-nutritious ingredients you add, the more your body has to work to derive the benefits. You may have noticed that many “Dark Chocolate” bars and chips on the market show a wide variety regarding the percentage of cacao solids they contain.

Cacao solids are the components of the cacao bean remaining after the fatty portion (aka butter) has been extracted. The amounts of cacao solids can range anywhere from 30%-100%. It may surprise you that companies can claim their products as “Dark Chocolate” with as little as 50% cacao solids because every country has its own standards.

In many cases, the remaining percentage of all these bars and chips can often be filled with various ingredients like white sugar or artificial sweeteners. However, our cacao chips are created using the perfect blend of pure cane sugar and cacao butter. The fermented cacao bean has a rich and bitter flavor profile, whether eaten whole or milled into a powder.

To the untrained pallet, this may be an acquired flavor and take some time to get used to, so using the percentage-based dark chocolate products may be an excellent way to help your pallet transition into the authentic flavor from cacao.  The one thing that seems universally agreed upon is that products with 70% cacao solids should be your start-off point. Therefore, our 70% bitter-sweet cacao chips provide a perfect option to use for transitioning to the “hard stuff.”

Our 70% cacao chips are rich in the flavanols epicatechin and catechin, with procyanidins providing the majority of antioxidant activity. Cacao also contains a treasure trove of essential minerals like Calcium, Magnesium, and potassium.

Depending on the quality of your cacao and which food analysis you are looking at, one tablespoon of cacao (approximately 5 grams) yields 15 milligrams of Calcium, 43 milligrams of Magnesium, and 120 milligrams of Potassium. Some ethnobotanists believe that cacao may be the most nutritious food you can put into your body. The experience of eating a nourishing form of cacao can be attributed to the synergy of unique compounds in this food. These health benefits make our 70% cacao chips a perfect addition to your diet.

1) Caffeine: The great stimulant

Caffeine is the world’s most widely used stimulant. Studies have shown that it stimulates the central nervous system and may also increase blood flow in the brain and serotonin secretion. Around 300 milligrams (mg) a day of caffeine has been shown to be a beneficial dose for most adults. Approximately a 50-gram serving of cacao contains about 35 mg of caffeine.

2) Theobromine: The powerful Antioxidant

Theobromine, or caffeine’s cousin, is primarily found in cacao and tea. In one 50-gram serving of cacao, you might discover about 250 mg of theobromine. Featured in Frontiers in Pharmacology, researchers found that this fantastic compound offers remarkable antioxidant properties, could be considered a safe and natural alternative in supporting specific health ailments, and is a lead compound for possibly developing novel future therapies.

3) Phenylethylamine (PEA): The feel-good chemical 

Phenylethylamine (PEA) is the actual love compound found in cacao. While PEA is in cacao only in small amounts, it carries a significant effect. Via stimulation of the nervous system, PEA may trigger the release of endorphins and potentiate the activity of dopamine associated with sexual arousal and pleasure. So, in other words, that restless feeling you have when you are in love is primarily due to PEA.

Cacao Butter: A nourishing fat

Cacao contains approximately 50% fat, comprised of two saturated fatty acids (palmitic & stearic) and one mono-unsaturated fatty acid (oleic). In an article titled Cocoa and Chocolate in Human Health and Disease, the following facts are stated regarding the nourishing qualities of cacao fat.

• The oil in cacao, cocoa butter, is a mixture of monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids. In the monounsaturated fraction, oleic acid predominates, as it does in olive oil.
• Most saturated fatty acids in cacao are palmitic acid and stearic acid.
• Stearic acid is unusual because it does not elevate serum lipid levels to the same degree as other saturated fatty acids.
• Shorter-chain saturated fatty acids such as myristic acid (14:0) and palmitic acid (16:0) are associated with increased LDL and atherogenesis; stearic acid is not.
• Although chocolate has a relatively high lipid content, one-third of the lipids in cocoa butter are stearic acid (18:0). Stearic acid is believed to be non-atherogenic and to exert a neutral cholesterolemic response in humans.

Clinically Studied Benefits of Cacao

A Healthy Heart

Cacao may nourish many aspects of a healthy heart, and the research is quickly piling up. According to a Japanese study, the polyphenolic compounds (a class of antioxidants) found in cacao show great promise in possibly suppressing inflammation levels in the cardiovascular system.

Another study showed that consuming cacao flavanols may positively impact cardiometabolic function — possibly affecting the heart and metabolic conditions like diabetes.

Nourish your brain with cacao:

Cacao may have even more happy effects. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Reading showed the positive effects of cacao on the pressure of blood flow to the brain, stating that “significant increases in regional perfusion across the brain were observed following consumption of the high-flavanol drink relative to the low flavanol drink, particularly in the anterior cingulate cortex and the central opercular cortex of the parietal lobe.” Therefore, it was concluded that these positive results from consuming cacao flavanols had provided evidence for possibly supporting cognitive performance.

Finally, a review of four studies discussing the effects of chocolate on cognitive function and mood concluded that two studies failed to demonstrate specific behavioral benefits but did show significant alterations to brain activation patterns. Two other studies did, however, report acute cognitive effects from consuming cacao polyphenols.

Therefore, while it seems unclear whether the effects of chocolate on mood are due to the orosensory characteristics of chocolate or to the pharmacological actions of chocolate constituents, further exploration of the impact of chocolate on cognitive facilitation is recommended, along with substantiation of functional brain changes associated with the components of cacao.

Not all Cacao Chips are Created Equal

As stated earlier, pure cacao has a complex, rich, and bitter flavor; for some, it is an acquired flavor. But, few people know that what primarily brings out this unique flavor is the vital fermentation process (which creates the final acidity) cacao must undergo to be edible and provide its nourishing qualities. Without this process, cacao would not have its unique flavor profile.

To be clear, it is NOT the cacao beans that are fermented. Bacteria and enzymes created when the pod is cracked open ferment the white pulp surrounding the beans. The beans endure the effects and are transformed. While the length of time for this process may differ based on various factors, all cacao fermentation goes through an anaerobic and aerobic phase.

• Anaerobic Phase: Anaerobic conditions are defined as environments that lack oxygen. In cacao, the pulp surrounding the beans created a barrier preventing air from entering. Because the pulp is composed of water, sugar, and various acids, it creates ideal conditions for microorganisms to grow and thrive. The primary players are yeast, pulp enzymes, and lactic acid-producing bacteria. The enzymes break down the pulp, so there is more space for air to enter this process. Citric acid is also broken down, helping to increase the pH of fermentation. The combination of increased pH and airflow marks the beginning of this phase.
• Aerobic Phase: Aerobic conditions are environments that contain oxygen. With cacao, this phase involves mixing and moving the beans around, allowing for a more uniform fermenting process. This stage involves combining heat and diffusion of ethanol and acetic acid into the cacao beans, breaking down cell walls, and producing an environment that develops the flavor precursors well known in cacao.

Summary of Important Information

Z Natural Foods hand-picks specific ingredients for our customers based on three concepts to provide the best quality product possible to support optimal well-being.

• Versatility
• History of safe and effective usage
• Strong evidence of positive research outcomes in humans

Cacao Solid Facts

• Cacao solids are the components of the cacao bean remaining after the fatty portion (aka butter) has been extracted.
• The amounts of cacao solids can range anywhere from 30%-100%.
• It may surprise you that companies can claim their products as “Dark Chocolate” with as little as 50% cacao solids because every country has its own standards.

Cacao Nutrition

• Rich in the flavanols epicatechin and catechin, with procyanidins providing the majority of antioxidant activity.
• Cacao also contains a treasure trove of essential minerals like Calcium, Magnesium, and potassium.
• One tablespoon of cacao (approximately 5 grams) yields 15 milligrams of Calcium, 43 milligrams of Magnesium, and 120 milligrams of Potassium.
• Cacao contains approximately 50% fat, comprised of two saturated fatty acids(palmitic & stearic) and one mono-unsaturated fatty acid (oleic).

Cacao Flavor

• What primarily brings out this unique flavor is the vital fermentation process(which creates the final acidity)cacao must undergo to be edible and provide its nourishing qualities.
• Without this process, cacao would not have its unique flavor profile.
• The cacao beans are NOT fermented; bacteria and enzymes created when the pod is cracked open ferment the white pulp surrounding the beans.
• The beans endure the effects and are transformed.
• While the length of time for this process may differ based on various factors, all cacao fermentation goes through an anaerobic and aerobic phase.

Some research suggests that Chocolate may contain the following constituents:

• Minerals: Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Sulfur
• Vitamins: Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin A (IU), Vitamin E, Vitamin K
• Amino Acids: Tryptophan
• Phytochemicals: Flavonoids, PEA (phenylethylamine), Anandamide, Theobromine, Caffeine, Resveratrol
• Essential Fatty Acids: Oleic Acid

This product may melt during shipping if it gets warm. If melting occurs, place it in the refrigerator or freezer for 1 hour. Then break pieces off as needed.

Suggested Use: To melt into recipes, gently warm in a double boiler, and add vanilla and agave nectar to sweeten.

Mixing suggestions: To increase flavor and nutritional profile, combine our organic cashews and goji berries into a trail mix.

Botanical Name: Theobroma cacao.
Other Names: Cocoa, plain chocolate, black chocolate, chocolate tree, Koko, Kakaobaum, chocolate, semi-sweet, and sweet dark chocolate.
Ingredients: Organic cocoa liquor, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic natural cocoa powder
Origin:  Grown in Peru. Packaged with care in Florida, USA.
Certifications: Certified USDA Organic.