Wow Cacao

As a professional chocolate judge and bean-to-bar enthusiast, the words Theobroma Cacao always bring a smile to my face. So, what is this mysterious, yet strangely familiar sounding Latin word that brings joy to my taste buds?

Theobroma Cacao, are evergreen trees that are cultivated and grown in tropical soils around West Africa, Asia, the South Pacific, South/Central/Latin America and the Caribbean. They are characterised by their large colourful fruits, known as cocoa pods. Each pod contains numerous seeds, known as cacao or cocoa beans, which are embedded in a white sticky, gelatinous pulp.

In ancient times, cacao was revered by the Aztec peoples as a precious food of the gods. Fast forwarding to modern times, the cacao solids and cacao butter which constitute cacao beans, via the magical process of drying, fermentation, and the skills of a chocolatier or chocolate maker, are transformed into chocolate bonbons and bars.

In the chocolate making process, the highly perishable cacao pulp from the pods has frequently been seen as being surplus to requirements and is discarded as a biproduct of the cacao bean extraction process. However, this practice has been changing in recent times, and this electrolyte-rich, refreshingly delicious, nutrient-dense pulp is becoming a star superfood in it’s own right.

I recently discovered a company called WOW Cacao who have launched a new cacao water drink in the UK market. It was fascinating to learn about the company’s story and vision of sustainability, as well as about the product’s journey from upcycled, unfermented cacao pulp to bottle.

So, what is cacao water and how is it produced?

The process starts with cacao pods sourced from Ecuadorian family farms in the coastal region of Guayas and Santa Elena – close to Guayaquil. Immediately after pod opening, excess cacao pulp, surplus to the requirements of fermentation of the wet cacao beans, is extracted and cold pressed to form juice. Finally, this juice is pasteurised, frozen and shipped to the UK, where it is diluted and bottled.

In a drinks-to-go market crowded with many brands of hydrating juice drinks and waters, I am looking forward to seeing chocolate’s drinkable cousin being consumed as a thirst quenching alternative.

Frangipani Foods Ltd – Galip Nuts

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a fascinatingly diverse country located in the South Western Pacific region of Oceania. It is home to around 8.3 million people and more than 800 languages. The country experiences a year round hot, humid, tropical climate with two distinctive seasons: wet (December – March) and dry (June – September). Large percentages of it’s population from rural areas rely on subsistence farming for their basic needs, and form part of a predominantly agrarian, agricultural society. Their main food cash crops grown for export are cocoa, coffee, copra, palm oil, and spices/vanilla.

However, PNG is also home to a lesser known, indigenous, highly nutritious superfood tree nut called the Galip Nut. Canarium indicum, known as galip nuts, grow in the rainforests of Melanesia in the South Pacific, where they have been locally wild-harvested and consumed for thousands of years. In local folklore, they are considered to have medicinal properties, and have high cultural significance in feasts and traditional ceremonies. Flavour-wise and nutritionally, they have a delicate, buttery taste; and are a good source of protein, vitamin E, magnesium and Omega 6 & 9.

I recently discovered galip nuts via a family business called Frangipani Foods Ltd. Based in the National Agricultural Research Institute in Keravat, Frangipani Foods was founded in 2021 by father and daughter, John and Marybeth Moxon. The company’s mission and vision is to help to provide a sustained source of income for rural communities by raising awareness of galip nuts, and by providing an access point to reach international markets and consumers. Their initial range of products are galip nuts (raw and dry roasted with Himalayan pink salt), galip flour (a low carb, gluten free flour) and nangai oil (skin and hair oil extracted from galip nuts).

Even though Frangipani is in it’s early stages as a business, after many years of pre-planning, they have ambitious future plans for the not so humble galip nut going forward. The future aims are 2 fold: to expand their range of products made from galip nuts, as well as to further support the communities who harvest them.

Natto K2

Fermented soy is a commonly used ingredient in many cuisines around South East Asia. Japanese miso and Indonesian tempeh are now mainstream products that have entered the food lexicon here in the UK. Another product that is becoming more well known in the UK and beyond, is a traditional Japanese food called Natto.

What is Natto and how is it traditionally used and consumed?

Natto is a whole soy bean preparation that is made by the alchemy of a 24 hour fermentation, aided by a specialist bacillus bacterium culture. It has a pungent aroma; a strong flavour (similar to age-ripened cheese); and a sticky, slimy texture. It’s an unusual, polarising food that I would describe as being a ‘marmite food’. However, in it’s native Japan, love it or hate it, it’s consumption is a cultural norm. Most commonly, natto is eaten as a daily breakfast food with rice, and garnished as per taste.

My introduction to natto in the UK

I have seen frozen natto countless times in my local Japanese supermarket; but always felt inexplicably daunted, and never had the courage to buy and try it. However, I recently met John Fahy, the founder and director of a UK business called Natto K2. He introduced me to this intriguing, complex food in a very approachable way; emphasising the fact that natto is an exceptionally good source of vitamin K2.

I took the plunge and sampled a small pot of the natto (as you can see in the photo above). My verdict? Yes, it’s an acquired taste, but it definitely wasn’t unpleasant.

I was amazed to learn how John has devised a way of disguising this strong flavoured fermented soy product in dessert recipes. Hence, by adding a small amount of natto to chocolates, cakes and biscuits; these sweet treats are given a nutritional boost that makes natto easier to consume.

What are the health benefits of consuming Natto?

As well as being a good source of a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, natto is also a gut-friendly probiotic food. Another part of natto’s nutritional story is that it contains a highly beneficial enzyme called nattokinaise. Nattokinaise is produced during the soy bean fermentation process; and manifests itself in the sticky, stringy parts of natto. This potent combination of nattokinaise and abundant levels of vitamin K2 is believed to be good for both bone and cardiovascular health.

The Pickle Guys

Fermentation and pickling are food preservation techniques that form important parts of the food traditions of many global cultures. Different pickling mediums, sometimes infused with spices, are used to extend the lifespans of seasonal, perishable foods.  Pickled foods have historically been used to sustain travelers on long sea voyages, and are a vital functional source of food for families living in remote locations facing harsh winter climates and no access to fresh produce.

There is much folklore and many stories are told about the origins of pickling.  However, archaeologists and anthropologists believe that the oldest known records were from ancient Mesopotamia in around 2400 BC.  The New York Museum of Food have created this fascinating chronological timeline documenting the history of pickles.

Every country and culture has it own regional pickling traditions based on local ingredients and tastes.  Furthermore, with the global movement of people and food, these once local foods have been transformed beyond their functional roots into gourmet, world-famous delicacies.  One such example is the Eastern European tradition of pickling that became synonymous with the Lower East Side of New York City’s borough of Manhattan in the early 20th century.

The influx of Eastern European Jewish immigrants settling in the Lower East Side at that time, resulted in food businesses being established that catered to the dietary requirements and tastes of the community.  The area’s demographic has changed a lot in the ensuing years, as the neighbourhood has moved beyond it’s Jewish working class roots and has become increasingly gentrified.  However, there is still evidence of it’s past Jewish food heritage, in the form of Kossar’s Bialys, Katz’s Delicatessen, Yonah Schimmel, Russ & Daughters and, of course, The Pickle Guys.

The Pickle Guys is the last remaining pickle shop in the Lower East Side.  They sell an exhaustive selection of barrel-aged pickles that range from traditional pickled cucumbers; to more innovative varieties such as okra, carrots, mango and horseradish.  The recipe for their bestselling traditional sour, half-sour and new cucumber pickles hasn’t changed over time and remains the same as it was in 1910: cucumbers, pickle spices, garlic and saltwater.

I spoke to Alan Kaufman, the owner of The Pickle Guys, who told me the story of his business. You can hear the interview by clicking on the play button below.

Riverdel Vegan Cheese

Aside from Union Square Greenmarket, another of my regular New York City foodie pilgrimage trails is the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Some of my favourite regular Grand Street haunts are Kossar’s Bialys and The Pickle Guys.  Also, any visit to this iconic neighbourhood would also be incomplete if I didn’t leisurely browse the gentrified Orchard Street locality, and the ethnically diverse Essex Market.

On my visit to the Lower East Side this summer, I was surprised to find that Essex Market had moved a short distance to a new home on the South East corner of Essex and Delancey Streets. This historic food market has been updated and transformed into a slick, modern airy space and gastronomic food hall. Originally established in 1888, and transitioning to become an indoor market in 1940, Essex Market has changed as time has passed to reflect changes in the community around it. Over the years, the area’s demographic has shifted from being a mixture of Jewish and Italian immigrants, into a much more cosmopolitan one.

The new Essex Market, which opened in May 2019, now hosts an eclectic combination of existing, as well as some new, innovative food companies.  One such business is a purveyor and producer of fine vegan cheeses called Riverdel.

Riverdel was established by Michaela Grob four years ago in Brooklyn.  They are a vegan cheese monger par excellence that stocks a wide range of vegan cheeses made by some of the best, predominantly North American vegan cheese makers.  When I first saw the cheese counter of their stall at Essex Market, my initial reaction was WOW!!! It truly was a sight to behold.

So, what is Vegan Cheese?

To conventional cheese connoisseurs and the uninitiated, the idea of vegan or non-dairy cheese may seem like an oxymoron.  However, aficionados of the gourmet vegan cheese world would define these unique products by the cheese-making techniques and cultures used to ferment and produce them, rather than by the lack of dairy as their base ingredient.

As a fan of vegan cheese, I have borne witness to the evolution, innovation and improving quality of products available in the UK.  Naturally, I was thrilled to find a similar trend being repeated in the USA.

Michaela told me the story of how her passion for vegan cheese inspired her to set up Riverdel.  She also told me about the cashew nut-based cheeses that they produce, and about trends within the vegan cheese industry.  You can hear the interview by clicking on the play button below.