Mon 23th Feb – 3rd March
Our special offers for this years > Fairtrade fortnight are on:-
> Gepa dark chocolate [55% and 70%]
> Equal Exchange dark and medium roast coffee beans
Theobroma cacao is a evergreen tree growing to 8 metres. The word “chocolate” derives from the name given to this tree by the Aztecs. Native to Mexico and Central America, cacao is a major crop throughout the tropics. The seedpods are collected twice yearly.
The seed pulp contains xanthines, a fixed oil and many constituents responsible for its flavour. The seeds contain very small amounts of endorphins, which are powerful painkillers that occur naturally within the body.
Though cacao is most often used as a food, it also has therapeutic value as a nervous system stimulant. In Central America and the Caribbean, the seeds are taken as a heart and kidney tonic. The plant may be used to treat angina and as a diuretic. In 1994 researchers showed that cacao extracts counter the bacteria responsible for boils and septicaemia.
… go on, treat yourself …