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.
At this year’s IFE (International Food Event) at London’s Excel Exhibition Centre, I was excited to discover a company called WOW Cacao who were launching 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.
Food For Thought 