Raw chocolate (raw ground chocolate paste when ground) ischocolate produced from unroastedcocoa beans with minimal processing.[1]
As of 2017, raw chocolate was a frequent topic of discussion in the chocolate community. Some raw chocolate advocates believe raw chocolate has subtle flavors lost in roasting cocoa beans. Others believe it has nutritional value that would be lost if cocoa beans were heated during chocolate manufacture. As cocoa beans are occasionally contaminated with pathogens such asSalmonella andE. coli, some people have raised concerns that raw chocolate consumption is risky.[2] In response, raw chocolate advocates argue that as animal products are not involved, the contamination risk is the same as for vegetables.[1]
To transform cacao into chocolate requires a significant amount of processing. Due to this, it is contested whether the resulting chocolate can be considered raw as the term is conventionally understood. Further, thefermentation cocoa beans generally undergo in making chocolate is anexothermic reaction, and temperatures regularly stay over 40 °C (104 °F). This is beyond the point at whichcooking is generally understood to begin.[3] In some fermentations, temperatures exceed 50 °C (122 °F).[4]
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