The French Broad Cacao Nibs are brought to us by a couple, Dan and Jael Rattingan, who really enjoy their craft. It all started with a trip to Costa Rica many years ago. Since then, they have owned a few successful businesses, all including food, cacao, and chocolate as their craft. But it took them a few years to come up with the bean-to-bar chocolate legend they are today. It is to be expected; after all, legends are build with time.

These are not regular nibs, they are fine-flavor and come specifically from Matagalpa Nicaragua. These cacao nibs are the ones French Broad uses to create the now famous and awarded Nicaragua 68% craft dark chocolate bar, also available in our store. (here). In 2012, Cacao Bisiesto was established by Gifford, an ex-Peace Army, and Jose Enrique, a native Nicaraguan cacao expert. They both live in the fertile Matagalpa province of Nicaragua, where Criollo and Trinitario cacao varietals have been planted for centuries. They each contributed years of expertise and a shared vision to their organization. To preserve, stimulate, and disseminate heirloom ("reliquias") varietals of cacao, they pay higher prices to local farmers for unusual, Criollo-infused seeds with excellent flavor profiles. They then cultivate these rare cacao varietals on their own farms. However, fermentation and drying have an essential role in the final quality and flavor of the cacao, and of course, in the resulting chocolate. Cacao Bisiesto (here) pays the right amount of attention to these steps, therefore producing beans that French Broad has to acquire and work their art.

These cacao nibs are crisp, they're "insane" (we mean nutty), but they're just nibs. They are small pieces of cacao beans that have been roasted and then separated from the husk, nothing added. The NIBS contain all of the dark chocolate benefits we have talked about in our blog, for instance, heart (here) and mood benefits (here), but without the sugar. As you might know by now, Theobroma Cacao has anti-oxidant properties (here). It has been proven to support healthy body functions.

The nibs are a great superfood, and you can add them to your juices, smoothies, and coffee. Also, in baking, is an excellent ingredient to add, not only the health benefits, but texture to your cookies, brownies, or muffins. Some people actually use them as the healthiest snack they can have. Like any other nut out there, you can eat them directly from this bag, or create your own mix with dry fruits or nuts.

Why don't you get a bag of these cacao nibs and start or continue your journey to a healthier you?