Cacao and its benefits
Heard of cacao, but not sure what it is? Don’t know the difference between cacao and cocoa? We’re here to give you the cacao low down, once and for all!
You may already associate cacao and cocoa with chocolate, which isn’t too far wrong. Cacao is the raw, untreated form of chocolate- or the pod- and cocoa is the roasted bean of the cacao pod that is turned into chocolate. We use both as an ingredient in a few of our chocolately tea blends, as they give a great chocolate taste but without any sugar or dairy needed.
Where does cacao come from?
The cacao pod, which natively grows on short trees in Central and South America, contains as many as 40 cocoa beans. The pods are removed from the trees, then the beans themselves are removed and left for one to two weeks to naturally ferment, before roasting or processing to make chocolate.
What are the benefits?
The cacao pod has a lining, most commonly found in the form of ‘cacao nibs’. These are used as a healthy alternative to chocolate and sometimes used to make ‘raw chocolate’. Cacao has a massive amount of antioxidants, minerals and health benefits- the most commonly held beliefs are its aid in reducing blood pressure and promoting circulation. This in turn could promote cardiovascular function and a healthy heart. Cacao’s high antioxidant level makes it great for reducing free radicals, which help cleanse your body, much like our matcha. It also helps act as a digestive aid- so don't turn down that raw cacao cake for dessert!
Cooking and drinking it
Our partners over at Off The Beet make some yummy cakes out of cacao and we love a slice with a cup of our award winning Dark Choc Chilli Chai. This tea blend has the best of both worlds with cacao beans, cocoa shells and a lovely amount of chai spices in there too!
We use cacao as one of our blending ingredients in our tea blending workshops, where you can sip on unlimited tea cocktails, learn all about tea and make your own tea!
You can also find cacao in our cool new blending kits, where you get to make your own Bird & Blend tea blends at home.
Bird & Blend teas with cocoa shells:
Bird & Blend teas with cacao nibs:
Check Out Our Festive Favourite - The Marshmallowey, Chocolatey and Coconutty Snowball Latte
Head over to our online shop to browse through all of our indulgent, naturally sweet, naughty BUT nice cacao and cocoa infused Bird & Blend tea blends.
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Black Tea
From: $8.50
To: $43.90
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Oolong Tea
From: $4.60
To: $74.70
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Black Tea
From: $4.60
To: $71.20
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Rooibos
From: $4.60
To: $64.10
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$13.50
