I want to love raw chocolate. Really, I do. The only problem is that, in my experience, it simply isn’t as delicious as non-raw chocolate. However, as all my non-raw chocolate tasting took place pre-blog, I feel I ought to get right back on that raw horse again and see where it takes me. (Does anyone else now have the Rawhide theme song in their head?)
Rawganic Chocolate with Hibiscus and Lucuma
First things first. Lucuma. What on earth is it? Those of you in the raw food world might already know, but I had to have a little chat with Mr. Google to find out. Apparently, lucuma is a subtropical fruit from Peru, and is high in fibre, carotene, and assorted vitamins and minerals. I couldn’t really find anything explaining what its flavour is like, though, and so I have to admit I couldn’t really pinpoint anything as “lucuma-y” in my tasting. But we’ll get to that.
Rawganic is an Australian raw chocolate company that produces organic and vegan treats, then donates a percentage of its profits to charities that help animals. So regardless of whether you think the chocolate tastes good, you can feel good eating it. Unless you hate animals, in which case you might feel terrible.
But if you hate animals, you should probably feel terrible anyway.
Where was I?
This particular bar is made of raw organic cacao butter, raw organic cacao powder, raw organic agave nectar, raw organic lucuma powder, organic hibiscus flowers, and pink Himalayan crystal salt. If nothing else, this company displays a great commitment to devising interesting flavour combinations, which I’m always appreciative of.
The chocolate displayed the typical slightly-grainy texture of raw chocolate, but had a crisper snap than I’ve come to expect from its ilk. The aroma was more like cocoa powder than chocolate, and I was pleased to see a few fragments of hibiscus flower peeking out of the bar once I started breaking it apart.
The texture was softer than normal chocolate but wasn’t mushy. (If it sounds like I’m reaching for positives, I guess I am, a little bit. Not mushy! Woot!) My main issue with this creation was that it simply didn’t taste strongly of much at all. It was hard to pinpoint anything definitively “chocolatey” in the taste, although there was a slight bitterness, a very subtle sweetness, and every now and again a tang from the hibiscus flowers.
I enjoyed the hibiscus tang, as it put me in mind of the dried sour cherries used in Green & Black’s Dark Chocolate with Cherry bar (which is the only Green & Black’s creation I’ve bought several times). I can’t help wondering if this chocolate would have had a stronger taste if it had used a different sweetener; as far as I know, agave is known for contributing sweetness without a distinctive flavour, and so I kept thinking that something like maple syrup might’ve helped. Of course, maple syrup isn’t raw (I’m not a die-hard Laura Ingalls Wilder “Quick girls, it’s graining!” fan for nothing!) so maybe that’s not a very good idea.
I probably shouldn’t admit this, but there was one moment when the chocolate flavour in this amped up and I enjoyed it more. That was when I, um, microwaved it.
I’d love to know what someone who has been raw, and hasn’t had regular chocolate, for a long time would think of this.
And even though I didn’t love it myself, I still want to try the other flavours. I mean, there’s a chilli and lime bar! I have to see what that’s like, right?
Lol I couldn’t imagine life without a microwave
I have never tried raw chocolate, I will try and buy some today I am intrigued
I’ll be interested in what you think of whichever one you try! I love the microwave – have to admit it
hahaha I don’t think I could live off raw. And I love that you nuked it haha you’re my hero. At least you tried something new?
Teehee, I’m glad no one’s come after me with a pitchfork for that
And me too – I love warmth far too much!
I did raw for a while and I will say that I felt great but alas, I went back to the cooking demon. That you nuked the raw bar made me laugh out loud! I am going to go get some of this to try it.
I’m glad you appreciated it! Cooking isn’t a demon – I appreciate the raw food lifestyle, but I simply love warm food too much
Winter is hard enough as it is without taking away warm bowls of soup to cradle in our hands!
Lucuma! I have some lucuma powder in my pantry; it’s a superfine consistency, like powdered/confectioner’s sugar. It’s just another one of those trendy “alternative sweeteners”
It’s pretty much just…well, sweet-tasting. I believe they make lucuma syrup as well (who is “they”? I’m not sure).
It’s too bad this bar left you unenthused =/ Ah well, you win some, you lose some.
Oh, okay, I didn’t realise it was used as a sweetener, not a flavour. Raw Genius Amber to the rescue! I reckon your raw chocolate would be tasty, though…
Wellll, like I said, I don’t think you could compare it to anything “professionally made,” but surely the “made-with-love” addition counts for something, right?
I saw some raw chocolate at Whole Foods when I was searching for Hannah chocolates. It was made in Vermont, and actually had maple sugar crystals! But since the bar had to be stored at cool temperatures, I passed. Maybe I should have bought it after all! A boiling hot ride in a cardboard box may have been just what that raw chocolate needed …
Oh, maple sugar crystals! It’s like that company read my mind! I think you made the right decision, though, in terms of safe-sending without knowing if that particular raw bar would be worth the risk. You so clever!
You are so cute. I’m not a raw food lover at all but I’m always looking for products for a friend of mine. Thanks for the giggle.
Plan B
Aw, thank you! Your comment made me feel all happy inside
I know its not PC these days, but I’m not a big fan of the raw movement, although I’m a bit like you in really wanting to be
so I’ll keep trying out these funky little restaurants & maybe even indulge in some raw chocolate…., maybe 
Oh my, do you mean there are raw food restaurants in Canberra?! I’d *love* to try a raw food place, if only for the kinds of desserts I keep reading about! Raw cheezecake….
OK so when I have looked at packets of raw chocolate and thought is there any difference, I obviously don’t have a clue about raw chocolate – this is tres illuminating, if not quite convincing me I should fork out big bucks for little raw chocolate
I’d save your forking-out for a tastier specimen than this – but I’ll do my best to find something worthy of you taking the risk
Raw chocolate sounds very intriguing. Have only had hibiscus in drinks and I do love Himalayan pink salt. Eating chocolate for a good cause sounds like a win-win proposal to me!
I wish I could’ve tasted the salt! You’ve reminded me that I once had hibiscus flowers (in syrup) in champagne. That was far tastier than this was, come to think of it…
Hmmm, I do agree that in general I just don’t like raw chocolate nearly as much as, well, the usual…but I really like Nature’s Gold raw chocolate. Hmmm, we really should do a chocolate trade…I like chocolate!
I’m seriously in for a chocolate trade. Really. Just let me know what you’re interested in from this side of ze ocean!
I like chocolate, almost any chocolate (well, vegan chocolate and possibly not chilli…I’m not good at that as much as I try).
I shall get my thinking cap on. Perhaps something raw will head your way!
Okay let’s do this thing…!
Lucuma? I’ve never heard of it before. I thought it was like lucerne hay
I must try a bit more of this raw stuff. I bet Mr NQN’s mum knows where to find some! 
Teehee, from what we’ve heard of his side of the family from your blog, I’m sure she would! Let me know if she knows of any raw chocolate that is legitimately tasty…
wow! that is creative to combine all those raw ingredients!
Yes, they’re definitely creative!
Thank you for your comment Hannah! Breakfast for Dinner sounds like a great idea
As a keen chocolate lover, I can appreciate your openness to new flavours and brands of chocolate. The hibiscus and lucuma chocolate sounds interesting, but I don’t know if I would give up Cadbury’s for it. I have of late become a bit of a Dream addict. Although I do like that the company has a conscience!
I love the idea of dark chocolate on porridge too… mmm. Perhaps that will be on my menu tomorrow!
I cannot recommend dark chocolate on porridge enough, but you really need to splodge on some nut butter too
Must say I’m not much of a Cadbury fan, although I did just review their Crunchie Rocks… and I did use to buy Top Deck as a kid…
Are there any alleged advantages to raw chocolate other than being part of a raw food lifestyle/diet? It doesn’t seem to have too many advantages in and of itself.
I’m not sure what other advantages you mean, in discounting all the alleged health/nutrient/better-for-you etc benefits? Isn’t that the whole point of anything raw? As far as I know, that’s simply what raw chocolate has going for it!
Never heard of raw chocolate before! I have learnt something today =D
Hurrah for educational blog-ness! Though I don’t think you were missing out on too much by not knowing…
Loving Earth chocolate (based in Melbourne) also makes raw chocolate with lucuma and sweetens theirs with agave syrup.
It’s certainly a different texture to normal chocolate which in the past I’ve likened to the bar kind of separating in all directions – thousands and thousands of them – when it’s in your mouth. It’s not unpleasant, just….. different.
Yep, I’ve tried all of Loving Earth’s chocolates too, and had a similar lacklustre response to them. I think I might give them another go, for the blog’s sake, of course…
Their chocolate coconut butter is to die for, though!