Featured Partner: Zimt Artisan Chocolates

October 17, 2014

Every week, Spud will be featuring one of our fantastic partners. This involves some tasty info, photos and a giveaway for twenty Spud customers (see below).

This week, we have chosen Zimt Artisan Chocolates, who make some of the most delectable organic raw artisan chocolate bars, macaroons and raw cookie dough.

Don’t Zimt Artisan Chocolate bars sound delicious? Would you like to try one yourself?

The first 20 customers to comment on this Facebook post with their Spud customer ID will have this week’s item added to their account for free on their next delivery*. If you aren’t already a fan of Spud Vancouver, please become one!

*Please note: winners must have a Spud account to receive the free item – if you do not have a Spud account, please sign up. Accounts can only win once per three (3) month period. Winners have a responsibility to respond to the direct message acknowledging their winning status within 72 hours. Your free item will be included within your next free delivery day order, the following Sunday through Saturday.

We had a chance to interview Emma of Zimt Artisan Chocolates:

Q: What do you love most about raw chocolate?

A: That it is high in antioxidants! This is for what raw cacao is known; it has one of the highest ratings for antioxidant rich foods in the world, based on weight! What I really love, though, is that I have heard from some clientele that raw chocolate has been recommended to themselves or family or friends by oncologists- if eating chocolate can help someone out like that, I am all for it.
Q: Some chocolate beginners may not know what the difference between “raw” chocolate and “regular” chocolate is. Can you help us out?

A: Raw chocolate is made out of cocoa that has not been processed at very high temperatures. There is no one set “raw” temperature standard, but basically, they are kept as unprocessed as possible, so as to preserve the antioxidants and digestive enzymes. Regular chocolate is made from roasted cacao- not necessarily a negative, though definitely lower in antioxidants. Some people find that raw chocolate provides them with a sort of “buzz” that regular chocolate does not. Raw chocolate, like Zimt, is usually sweetened with alternative sweeteners (not cane sugar). We use coconut sugar, because it is low on the glycemic scale (people with diabetes even enjoy it), and while it is a sweetener that has been around for ages in South East Asia, it is relatively new to North America.

Q: You started out with bars, but now offer macaroons and raw cookie dough in fudge sauce! How did you get the idea to sell your cookie dough?

A: I love that cookie dough! I’d seen some similar recipes on blogs, so I started making it for my own use. I tweaked my recipes until I loved them, and thought a lot of other people may love them, too! Naturally, I had to mass produce them. The cookie dough is made out of cooked beans, coconut sugar, coconut oil or coconut butter, and also uses Himalayan salt. You would never guess that there are beans as an ingredient! It is fun and challenging to come up with and develop new product ideas- I’m really so happy that people love what we create. It is ethical and delicious; what more could one ask for!