Cocoa: food for the gods

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The scientific name of the cocoa "Theobroma", from the Greek meaning "food for the gods", was given to this plant by Carl von Linné in the middle of the 18th century. This name was chosen by Swedish naturalist and creator of a unified classification of living beings for an ulterior motive: at that time in Europe was known about the unsurpassed taste, nutritional and medicinal benefits of cocoa. In South America, the birthplace of the cocoa tree, people since before BC attributed its divine origin: the Mayans used it in the sacred rituals, and the Aztecs revered it as a gift of the "feathered serpent" god Quetzalcoatl and used as a cash equivalent.

In 1519 Spanish conquistadors came to Central America. The Indians, not knowing the true intentions of the "guests", generously treated the newcomers with the divine drink, among other gifts. When the Spaniards arrived at the looting of the treasuries of the Indian Empire, they found multi-ton reserves of the precious cocoa beans, presented to the emperor by residents as a tax.

Until the middle of the 17th century, cocoa beans were imported into Europe from Central America only. At that time, an exotic drink was the prerogative solely for royal families and the palace because the price was genuinely fabulous. By the way, the taste left much to be desired. Europeans couldn't make cocoa properly: the drink was too bitter, and its popularity was due to fashion and "exclusivity". However, a bit later in the recipe was added sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, and in 1828 the Dutch invented the technology of manufacturing the solid chocolate bars, which come almost unchanged to the present day. In the Age of Discovery, as the capture of the Europeans in the Americas, Africa, and Asia, "chocolate tree" plantations were gradually taking root in new areas. Commodity prices began to fall, and the taste of the finished product, in contrast, was rapidly improving. His Majesty Chocolate started its triumphal march around the modern world, capturing more and more human hearts.

For by-cosmetics products, we buy only freshly harvested cocoa beans of the highest quality. It is not difficult for us since we live in Bali because Indonesia is the second-largest exporter of cocoa, its share in the global market is 13%. The well-known fact that in Asian countries, local manufacturers of cosmetics and food products sometimes have big problems with sanitary, health, and safety regulations due to negligence and careless attitude. Raw materials, which become our butter ingredients, are not cheap - it has passed the strict government control and has all the quality certificates. Our factory is modern buildings and equipment in compliance with the maximum sterility of the manufacturing process.

Four centuries ago, scientists and physicians marked unusual properties of the cocoa fruit. According to handwritten testimony Jesuit monks, which meticulously collected information about customs and manners of the enslaved people, it says: if you drink a lot of cocoa, you will get "stupefying, intoxicating and crazy", but in a moderate dose, it "refreshes, soothes the heart, softens people ". Ancient inhabitants of America used cocoa butter as a wound-healing elixir and made the tone and agility legs during long daily crossings.

What are the benefits?

Moderate cocoa consumption helps to strengthen the nervous and immune system, improve brain blood circulation, low blood pressure, stimulates breathing, and prevents malignant tumors. Cocoa is helpful both in mental and physical stress. It relieves tension and relaxes, helping to focus and concentrate, thereby increasing working efficiency.

The cocoa beans contain more than 300 minerals, trace elements, vitamins, and chemical compounds, which confirm their status as "divine elixir." Here is an incomplete list of this helpful stuff:

• Theobromine - an alkaloid, providing a stimulating effect. It has little impact on the nervous system, but actively effects on cardiovascular and respiratory systems, reduces the risk of cerebral spasm of the heart and blood vessels, as well as suppress the cough reflex;
• Anandamide activates the production of endorphins, a natural antidepressant, influencing our good mood and feeling of pleasure. It stimulates the body, increasing vitality and energy levels;
• antioxidants which deactivate free radicals in the cells of the body and thereby protect us from viral and bacterial infections;
• Kokohil stimulating the growth of skin cells and wrinkles healing;
• Melanin protects the skin from UV and infrared radiation;
• fatty acids, stabilizing cholesterol;
• Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and has anti-aging properties;
• Procyanidins relieve stress, improves skin tone and elasticity of the skin, and prevents premature aging;
• Magnesium helps to cope with stress, relieve tension, relax the muscles;
• Iron enhancing hematopoietic function;
• Feniloetiloamin, which enables the body to carry heavy physical activities much easier and faster to restore power;
• Bioactive components which which inhibit platelet adhesion processes (chocolate with more than 70% cocoa).

Cocoa beans also contain caffeine, but in much smaller doses than, for example, coffee or tea, only about 0.2%. It's a small amount, so if you do not suffer from hypertension, such concentration can hardly hurt you.

On the factory

How do farmers make raw materials from "chocolate tree" fruits, and in which industries and human activities it is used?

Let's look at a nearby plantation of cocoa beans.

So, the cocoa fruits ripen entirely for four months after being harvested, cut into several pieces, and fermented. After that, the beans are dried in the sun or special kilns, roasted, and pressed to obtain cocoa butter. The most valuable is the oil obtained by pressing unroasted, defunct raw beans, which have passed only the fermentation and drying. In this case, it can preserve all valuable substances, vitamins, and minerals in the absence of heat. The dry residue after pressing is ground to obtain a cocoa powder. The resulting raw materials - cocoa butter and cocoa powder - are needed in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries.

Cocoa and cosmetics

In cosmetology, the beneficial properties of cocoa butter are used to rejuvenate the skin, as it has a tonic and healing effect. An effective way to deal with stretch marks on the body is using cocoa butter and cocoa powder for massage and body wraps. The cocoa butter in the composition of hair masks gives an excellent result - stronger hair by stimulating blood circulation in the scalp, growing faster and getting thicker.

Priceless properties of cocoa butter we use to the full in the manufacturing of by-cosmetics products. All recipes designed to nourish, moisturize and protect the skin from external influences come with cocoa butter. This product line of our body butter – Desire Body Butter, Desire Body Butter, Miracle Body Butter, One Love Body Butter, Simple Pleasure Body Butter. The application field for body butter is extensive: immediately after the shower, when cocoa butter and other valuable ingredients give all their benefits to your skin; before using a swimming pool - a thin film of natural oils protects your body from the effects of chlorine and other chemicals used for water purifying; during sunbathing – cocoa butter has a natural SPF 10 to 15 units.

It's all about chocolate

It makes no sense to describe in detail all the tastiness of cocoa. Cocoa butter and cocoa beans are the essential ingredients for chocolate and countless confectionery delicacies based on it, both in industry and homemade. Talking of chocolate: when you select this delightful product, you should always pay attention to the composition indicated on the label. Quality chocolate consists of just three ingredients - cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and sugar. That's the ticket! Did not include the remaining alloys, such as confectionary vegetable fat, emulsifiers, flavorings, and all that are dangerous to your health in the above shortlist. Not without reason, chocolate has been recognized as the most hazardous sweet because of the large number of synthetic additives designed to reduce the cost of the final product.

Cook your chocolate in our original recipe. To make this treat please you and benefit your body, we recommend using ingredients that have not undergone heat treatment. In this case, it will save all vitamins and minerals.

Homemade chocolate from by-cosmetics:

• 100 g of cold-pressed cocoa butter;
• 100 g of peeled raw cocoa beans or 70 g of raw cocoa powder;
• 60-90 grams of honey, agave syrup, or other natural sweeteners;
• 70-100 grams of nuts, raisins, or goji berries;
• 0.5-1 tsp vanilla powder.

Melt the cocoa butter on the water bath, chop cocoa beans, mix them with cocoa butter, and then add the syrup or honey. Then pour the chocolate into the silicone cups and put it in the freezer.

Cocoa: safeguarding the health

In medicine, there is a wide variety of using cocoa butter: this product has a strong antiseptic effect and is used in the composition to treat colds, including influenza, bronchitis, pneumonia. Also, it effectively treats gastric and intestinal diseases, is used to prevent cancers, promotes the removal of excess cholesterol from the blood, makes it possible to avoid the development of atherosclerosis, and reduces the risk of varicose veins.

As you can see, with the good reason all of us in childhood adored hot aromatic cocoa and chocolate goodies: a familiar and favorite product has a lot of beneficial properties for the human body. However, we want to remind you again and again how important it is to comply with the measure and choose only quality goods. Treat yourself with chocolate and be healthy!

The by-cosmetics factory uses cocoa in its products:
Kiss Me Lip Balm,
Bali Tiger Rub Balm,
Matahari Sunblock,
Desire Body Butter,
Feel Love Body Butter Tropical Line,
Mimpi Body Butter,
Miracle Body Butter,
One Love Body Butter,
Simple Pleasure Body Butter.