Aside from the odd piece of See's Candy, molecular biologist Raven Hanna didn't grow up a chocoholic. On a trip to Belize more than a decade ago, she encountered cacao trees and learned how the Maya people processed the pods for chocolate. Now living on the Big Island of Hawaii, she says that chocolate has taken over her life. On any given day, Hanna might be harvesting cacao, winnowing beans, or tempering chocolate for bonbons.
Seeds are found in the mucillage or pulp. Photo by Raven Hanna.
In Hawaii, all varieties of cacao grow well. Hanna grows most of her trees from seedlings. It takes three to five years before the tree bears fruit and up to six months before pods are ready to be harvested. Scratching the surface of the skin will indicate ripeness, with yellow flesh indicating the pod is ready to be harvested.
Top desserts or snack on candied cocoa nibs. Photo by Jeremy Lutes.
Candied Nibs Recipe
These sweet and crunchy nibs can be used as a dessert topper, a chocolate bar inclusion, or an addictive snack. Add other spices or nuts and seeds for endless possibilities. As written, this recipe uses a ratio of chocolate to sugar equivalent to a 67% chocolate bar.
Ingredients
- 8 teaspoons sugar (cane sugar or coconut sugar)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup roasted cocoa nibs
Instructions
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Put coconut sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat to dissolve sugar.
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Add spices and stir until incorporated.
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Add nibs and stir to coat. Keep stirring for 3 to 5 minutes.
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Take the pan off the heat and spread the coated nibs on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or on a dehydrator tray.
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Dehydrate in the lowest oven setting or 110°F in a dehydrator until the nibs are no longer sticky.
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Store in an air-tight container.
Not all cacao is fermented. In Mexico, unfermented cacao is used in beverages and doesn't have the fudgy taste associated with chocolate. Hannah explains that fermentation lowers the bitterness and astringency of the seeds. The breakdown of the complex molecules into simple molecules enhances the flavor but it's the process of roasting that brings out the distinct chocolate taste.
Raven Hanna says chocolate has taken over her life. Photo by Jeremy Lutes.
Her book, "One Cacao Tree: how to make chocolate from fresh cacao pods," walks readers through the process of making tree-to-bar chocolate… but you'll need to live in a tropical climate to grow cacao.
"One Cacao Tree" is a how-to for transforming pods into chocolate. Photo courtesy of Raven Hanna.