Exploding Tree, Purveyors of Thought Full Food, Launches Cocoa Husk Tea - An Energizing Lift from the Food of the Gods

Allison Roberts, founder of Exploding Tree, is a passionate supporter of sustainable local business - wherever in the world they may be. Her medium is chocolate and her mission is to celebrate cocoa as a life-giving wholefood. Naturally nutritious and abundant with essential vitamins, minerals and heart healthy cocoa butter, cocoa is the original superfood.

The cocoa beans sourced by Exploding Tree are grown by Fairtrade farming co-operative Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana, West Africa, then shipped to their small but perfectly formed bean-to-bar factory in West Cork, Ireland.

Hand-processing cocoa beans without the use of chemicals means every part of the bean can be used – including the husk. When infused in freshly boiled water, the cocoa husks make a refreshing cup of comforting and delicious tea!

The Cacao Tree’s Latin name Theobroma literally means “Food of the Gods” and has sustained great empires for millennia. The husk contains the same balance of nutrients as the beans, so drinking Exploding Tree’s Cocoa Husk Tea is an easy and delicious way to treat your body to essential antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients.

Allison Roberts has been in the business of making chocolate since she was just 12 years old living in Toronto, Canada. It was supposed to be a short visit to West Cork ten years ago, but instead Roberts ended up settling into the award winning town of Clonakilty and building a bean-to-bar chocolate factory.

Allison said, “We have been drinking Cocoa Husk Tea for years, I especially love it first thing in the morning or after a big meal. This tea has its roots in ancient Mayan civilisation, used in ritual and enjoyed for its uplifting qualities… the husk contains so much of the whole bean’s goodness - the same way the skin of any fruit or vegetable contains so much of its goodness.”

“I am passionate about reclaiming chocolate’s potential as a healthy, nutrient-rich food source and so Cocoa Husk Tea fits this bill. We have been developing it with LIT (Limerick Institute of Technology) and were delighted to find through their panel surveys that people were loving the taste as much as we do. When we received the lab results of high nutrient and antioxidant content, our instinct that it was doing us good was confirmed! It tastes great - roasted chocolate, honey and warming spices really come through. It is buttery and comforting, like a warm cuddle.”

Why is Cocoa Husk Tea so good?

• Caffeine-free Cocoa Beans are rich in a stimulant called Theobromine. Often mistaken for caffeine, it acts to give you sustained energy over a long time, and unlike caffeine is not followed by a crash. Fuel up once and go all day!
• Rich in Essential Nutrients and Antioxidants ORAC is the standard used to measure antioxidant value. Our Cocoa Husk Tea has six-times the Oxygen Radical Absorbancy Capacity of green tea! It is also a source of vitamin E (important for cell regeneration), and high in zinc, iron, manganese (good for healthy bone maintenance), copper (good for keeping red blood cells, nervous and immune systems healthy) and chromium (good for keeping bodily functions in balance).
• The husk contains heart-healthy cocoa butter, good for circulation and digestion.
• Ethical and traceable supply chains are a mainstay at Exploding Tree, Cocoa Husk Tea is 100% Fairtrade certified.
• All of our packaging is 100% biodegradable.
• Spent tea leaves make a nutrient-rich compost for your garden!