Crio Bru brewed cocoa was hands-down my favorite foodie discovery of 2012. I almost didn’t tell you about it because all the hot cocoa is for me. Then I decided that things really do taste better when shared.
You can read about this product’s many alleged, health-related virtues on the Crio Bru website — how it contains the gentler stimulant theobromine rather than jitters-inducing caffeine, how it’s loaded with antioxidants, how it doesn’t torment delicate stomachs as its more acidic cousin, the coffee bean, can… but what really thrills me about brewable ground cocoa beans is simply the taste.
Brew it like tea for a lighter cuppa, or brew it like coffee in a French press or automatic drip machine set on slow-brew for a rich, dark drink with layers of character. It’s delicious black, with a deep bitter-chocolate flavor that is surprisingly smooth. It’s equally divine with cream (or in my case, almond milk), or sugar, or dashed with peppermint or orange oil, or spiked with Bailey’s, Kahlua, or nocino. You can also brew it half-and-half with ground coffee for a brewed mocha. (The Gent has figured out that a brewed mocha is the easiest way to coax me to smile on harried workday mornings.)
As part of my commitment to an anti-inflammatory diet, Crio Bru brewed cocoa fits right in with my health needs and goals. It’s a delicious, gluten-free, dairy-free treat which imparts all the much-touted health benefits of chocolate, but without the sugar and fat with which chocolate candy comes laden.
Speaking of cocoa, the Gent and I will be touring a cocoa plantation next week while we’re off visiting the West Indies nation of Trinidad & Tobago. What IF Gourmet will be on hiatus for the week, but I will update you on our adventures when we return. In the meantime, stay warm and cozy, fellow Northerners!
