In this 2017 harvest, we taste notes of roasted almond, toasted bread, and chocolate.
What Creates Nibs' Interesting Flavors?
Flavor is impacted by lots of things—the genetics of a cacao tree, the geography and climate of a region, the fermentation and drying process, the way we roast the beans—and varies from harvest to harvest.
What Are Nibs?
A cocoa bean has three parts: the meaty interior, or nib; the radicle, a tiny embryonic root at one end; and the papery outer husk. Nibs are where the flavor lives, and to make chocolate, we crush them and add sugar after the dried, fermented whole beans are sorted, roasted, and de-husked.
How Do I Use Them?
We like to recommend using nibs like nuts—in cookies, salads, bread, you name it—but they are so much more dynamic than that. They can be punchy and acidic like ripe strawberries, toasty and nutty like roasted almonds, or creamy and sweet like peach ice cream. Cocoa nibs are the purest, most direct expression of a cocoa bean’s flavor in all its delicious complexity.
