Does "raw" chocolate taste different? What is coconut blossom nectar? Is the packaging completely biodegradable? What exactly is the difference between fair trade and direct trade?
There is much to tell about Lovechock, its corporate philosophy and its products. Do you have any questions? Send us an e-mail to info@lovechock.com or use the contact form.
Conventional chocolate is usually made with roasted, alkalised and sterilised cacao that has been processed for approximately 8 hours or more. Raw Chocolate generally means that during the whole process of making the chocolate, the cacao has not been heated on high temperatures. At Lovechock, we care deeply about respecting the cacao's wonderful authentic flavor and incredible amount of natural nutrients (vitamins, minerals, flavonoids). That's why we only briefly roast the outer shell of the cacao beans for microbiological reasons. We also keep the processing of the cacao to an absolute minimum and keep the temperatures and as low as possible while making our chocolate.
Cacao is generally known as a very potent source of e.g. theobromine, anandamide, minerals, vitamins and flavanols (which have anti-oxidant qualities). Each of these can have their own health benefits and effects are different for each individual. Research shows that most of these properties are destroyed during the roasting, alkalising, sterilising and milling of the cacao to make conventional chocolate. Additionally, the cacao content especially in milk or white chocolate is usually too low to deliver much benefit.
We like to keep our products as pure and natural as possible and select only the best organic original cacao species with authentic flavours from Ecuador and Peru which allows us to minimise our processing and keep it RAW.
The product-specific nutritional value tablet can be found on the packaging.
The cacao content on the label explains the percentage of cacao in the 'chocolate part’. The so-called chocolate part is legally defined as the combination of the cacao mass, cacao butter and sweetener. So the cacao content on the label does not necessarily reflect the percentage of the whole bar. This is a bit confusing, but the law on labelling compels all chocolate makers to display it in this way.
Let´s look at an example: On our Lovechock Pure Nibs bar we show a percentage of 80%. Since the Pure Nibs bar contains only cacao ingredients and sweetener without any added fruits or nuts, the cacao percentage of 80% actually means that at least 80% of the whole bar is cacao.
But it is a slightly different story if you take our Almond Fig bar as an example. As shown on the label, it has 82% cacao in the chococlate part. But the bar contains other ingredients, too, like a fair amount of almonds and figs. This means that the cacao percentage of the total bar is around 54%.
You might be surprised that we do not use Fairtrade certification at Lovechock but let us tell you why. We have chosen to take it a step further and source via Direct Trade. This means that we buy our cocoa directly from local farmers' cooperatives in South America. We spend a lot of time and effort to ensure that a bigger part of the value chain (and with that, more employment and money) stays in the cacao growing countries and we think that it's totally worth it. Our farmers receive a fair remuneration for their hard work. And their passion and expertise in growing delicious organic cacao for us is a true benefit that you can taste!
Only the best natural ingredients are used for Lovechock. According to our "Love for You" and "Love for the Planet" philosophy, all our ingredients are 100% organic. Above all, of course, our fine Arriba Nacional cacao, a superior quality bean from Ecuador. Speciality cacao, such as the Arriba Nacional, makes up only 4% of the total global cacao trade. Lovechock obtains its Arriba Nacional cacao beans from small biodynamic farmers who often grow other fruit besides cocoa. This assures a high biodiversity. Organic quality is particularly important for chocolate. Cacao grows in a tropical climate and trees are often sprayed heavily with pesticides. Lovechock uses cacao which has not been sprayed with pesticides.
Yes all Lovechock products are gluten free! There is no processing of grainat all taking place in our chocolate factory and all our ingredients are gluten free. We consciously choose grain-like crops (like quinoa in our Mulberry/Vanilla bar) for our delicious recipes that are low glycemic, gluten free and of high nutritional value.
Palm oil unfortunately is hidden in many foods. On top of being a cheap fat, palm oil is used to make e.g. chocolate fillings creamy and give it a melt-in-the-mouth texture. Experts suspect this fat to contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer. According to the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), palm oil also has a negative effect on the environment. Natural forests are cleared for the production of this fat which means that both local people and animals lose their natural habitat.
Lovechock does not use any palm oil - and this is documented by a certificate. We only use pure organic cacao butter in our chocolate. Our main sweetener is coconut blossom nectar which has been declared to be the most sustainably grown sugar by the Federal Agricultural Organisation (FAO). Coconut blossom nectar is a different product from a different tree and has no link to palm oil.
Lecithin is a general term for a type of emulsifier. We only use organic sunflower lecithin in our Vegan M♥lk and Golden White chocolates, which is made of pure sunflower seeds only. Lecithin is added to stabilize the cocoa butter and preserve the nutrients and taste.
A main component of lecithin is Choline which helps lower cholesterol. It is considered a health benefit. The amount of choline in our chocolates is too low to make any sort of claim.
Yes it is. Out of love for the environment, all Lovechock products come in plastic free and 100% compostable packaging. Even the foil into which the tablets and bars are sealed. It is a home compostable film made of cellulose from sustainably cultivated forests (FSC and PEFC). We are proud to say that you can simply throw the foil at your compost in your garden!
Click here for more information and a short video documentation
Those are cacao nibs: small pieces of finely ground cocoa beans. They are absolutely natural and it is no problem at all to consume them. Unfortunately we are not able to remove them all because they are too small. They are simply the result of having a natural, raw product.
You will find Lovechock bars and tablets in your local organic or health food shop. Use our Store Locator to find the store closest to you. Our chocolate is also available via quite a few online shops, you can find them on the Store Locator, too.
Click here to go to the Store Locator
Found Lovechock in a store that is not included in our Store Locator? Let us know and we'll add your store quickly!
We are always keen to hear what you think of our product. Maybe you even have some good suggestions and ideas for us? We are also happy to hear from you if you are a retailer and interested in Lovechock. Or do you want to submit a complaint?
Whatever it may be, we are looking forward to hearing from you through our contact form.