Sam and I are going to grow our own chocolate. try and stop us.
Miami might just be tropical enough to mother a chocolate child
Restaurant Review: The Cacao Tree (Royal Oak, MI)
Last weekend I was in downtown Royal Oak with my brother and grandparents. My grandmother only eats organic, and so we were SUPER excited to find this place. It is a small restaurant serving vegetarian and vegan food. They have daily specials including soups and salads. The menu consists of wraps, salads, and even tacos. All are delicious!
The menu also includes various smoothies and juices, which can be made to order. The staff is unbelievably friendly! It is obvious that they are a part of the community, with regulars popping in and out the entire time I was there. They also have a carry-out option.
It may seem a bit pricey at first, but the food is all organic and they give you a mountain of it. My hummus wrap was almost as big as my thigh. Needless to say, I was rather pleased.
Rating: I LOVE IT GO THERE RIGHT NOW.
About the Cacao Tree
cacaoweb.net“The cacao tree (Theobroma Cacao) is grown in the tropics in a band between 10 to 20 degrees north and south of the equator, sometimes called the “Cocoa Belt”. The tree is often grown in the shades of other trees. It can be as tall as 40 feet (12 meters), and has fruits (pods) which are more than on foot (30 cm) long. The fruits may be brownish-yellow to purple, and contain 20-40 seeds or cacao beans in a pink, sweet-sour pulp.”
Ever wonder "Where does chocolate come from?"
People often times enjoy chocolate without knowing the amazing plant that provides us the gift of chocolate.
Cacao is the name of the species of tree that grows in the tropics, at low elevation. The cacao tree grows in the shade of other trees and is part of the most diverse ecosystem on earth: the tropical rainforest. The scientific name for the Cacao tree is Theobroma cacao: Food of the gods.
Cacao is also the seed (usually called a bean) that is found in the ripe fruit pods in growing off the trunk of Cacao trees. The cacao bean has many uses. Most notably, it is the essential ingredient in chocolate. Nova Monda creates our pure healthy chocolate with cacao grown by cacaoteros (cacao farmers) in Ecuador and Nicaragua.
Cacaoteros spend their lives perfecting the craft of harvesting and nurturing cacao. They are truly artists, and it is because of their efforts that we have the wide variety of fine chocolate with the unique flavors and aromas that we enjoy today. Heirloom varieties are at risk as the world market demands more lower quality beans and lower prices. This is a big part of the reason that Nova Monda works directly with farmers to select the best hierloom varieties of cacao to craft our single origin chocolate.
When you choose Nova Monda’s pure healthy chocolate, you can be assured that you are eating the finest chocolate available, made from the highest quality ingredients. Please leave a comment if you have any questions that you would like answered. Tune in next week to learn about the cacao harvesting process. In the mean time, take a look at our chocolate at http://novachocolate.com and see if there is anything that catches your attention.
-Adam
