Fine&Raw considers chocolate lovers one community

If I said that chocolate leaves you feeling joyful, satisfied and fulfilled, you'd probably agree. Chocolate is, after all, universally adored. And if you really take yours seriously, you're likely to go that extra step and say that it's not merely a food - it's an important life need. And that's where you'd place it on Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Whether you're loving raw chocolate, just learning about it, or enjoying traditional brands , together we make up a community of chocolate lovers. And we're quite a very devoted bunch. We know our chocolate and what we love about it, and we can bring this familiarity when we introduce our favorites to the people in our lives. I'd encourage you to do this. This way, our chocolate horizons keep expanding. And that means more chocolate for everyone.

When I introduce the idea of raw chocolate, I address it as chocolate that's made from unroasted cacao beans. Then I move on to the varied natural aromas and flavors (citrus, nutty, tea notes or fruity tones, depending on where the cacao beans are grown) and the nutritional profile of chocolate in its natural, raw and unprocessed state. What I've noticed is that most people aren't familiar with concepts of the raw food movement, which leaves a lot to the imagination and stigma. And there are a lot of misconceptions about the food and the lifestyle.

The stigma is that raw foodists wear tie-dye clothes and limit themselves to eating lettuce and carrots for life, without enjoying food that's fun, has flare or culinary flavor.

When I first developed a personal interest to explore the world of raw, I found this outlook to be a bit bizarre. Raw for me was simply an idea of keeping myself in balance with a good intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds. It made sense. But after a while, I became more objective and understanding about the opinions of others. I realized that everyone needs to follow a different path in life. And I had no problem if other people needed to eat a certain way or follow a chosen diet. I also understood that everyone has the capacity to know how they feel after eating certain foods. But even so, I still think it's good to be exposed to the idea of raw and know that this option always exists - even if now is not the time.

When I went raw, I received a variety of reactions. Some looked at me with with eyes as if I had been raving mad. Other people supported what I was doing, some loved the idea and at most times, people were quite accomodating. I was a full time raw foodist for 3 years, and during that time I found something that really fit. My life approach is to find something that works for me and become an advocate of it - to really stand behind it completely. And yet, at the same time, to recognize that things change and we move on and adapt. I like to think of it as moving on to the next life adventure.

That time came when I realized that I had a desire to change my thinking patterns. I had noticed that when I went raw, I started to put food in categories of good and bad, and I wanted to think more broadly. I was ready to see the positive sides of all types of foods. Food is a great way to shift the way you see things because it's so habitual and primal. So after three years of real devotion, I started to explore the world of cooked food with a fresh and open attitude.

I'm now much more relaxed about how I eat. I still eat a predominately raw based diet, but when friends and family call to get together, I'm grateful for what's in front of me and enjoy eating. I've let go of being so hard core, so determined to be so absolute about it. For me, this shift was about bringing my life where I felt it needed to be. And I'm open to how this will change again over time.

The support I received when I was in the thick of eating raw showed me how I can be supportive when other people follow a path that I may not understand, but is right for them. It helped me evolve to this place. I realized that by transforming myself to be accepting of lifestyles that were different than mine, I was able to enjoy life more, and embrace what was in front of me. And I think that's really worthwhile.

Even as a raw chocolatier, I don't believe in offering solutions or insisting on a certain way of eating chocolate. If I did, that would assume that I know what other people need and where they're going in their lives. I'd much rather create conversation of who we are, what we've done and where we're going. That's what we do at Fine&Raw. We create, we introduce and we share our raw confections. And we're finding that people are joining in on the conversation, and becoming more interested in raw food and raw chocolate delights.

This interest has made its way into the world of specialty food purveyors. We're seeing that shops that cater to all kinds of foodies - gourmet cheese shops, Dean and Deluca and other high end shops - are carrying raw chocolate, and we're thrilled about that. We're always delighted to see evolution. On our website, you can find a list of the New York specialty stores carrying our chocolate.

Enjoy the exploration!

Possiblities and cacao,
Daniel