Cacao Nibs Brands in the Philippines

Cacao nibs (roasted cacao bits usually coated in coconut sugar or coconut syrup) is one of the latest trends of healthy snacks in the Philippines. We must admit that we were one of those who joined the bandwagon this year. So, here is our honest review on four brands of cacao nibs, namely, Cacao Culture Farms, Greenola, Manila Super Foods and The Superfood Grocer. We got all of them from Beauty MNL.

Dubbed as a superfood and coined by the Aztecs as the “The Food of the Gods”, cacao has the following properties*:

• Rich in antioxidants
• Anti-depressant and balances the mood
• Balances brain chemistry
• Dilates blood vessels and reduce blood clotting
• Builds strong bones
• Assists in regulating heartbeat and blood pressure
• Detoxifies the liver
• Helps increase focus
• Source of iron, magnesium and manganese

*information based on the packaging of the cacao nibs

We will review the products based on their packaging, level of sweetness, chunkiness, price and overall appeal.

Packaging

All cacao nibs are placed in resealable pouches. Except for the The Superfood Grocer, there are transparent portions in the packages so you can see the actual cacao nibs from the outside. We’re huge fans of fonts and branding, so we also considered it in the points.

Cacao Culture Farms takes the top spot for this criteria. I gave The Superfood Grocer a 5 and Abi gave it a 4, so it’s a 4.5.

Level of Sweetness

Abi and I are not fond of sweet or milk chocolates. We prefer the dark ones with 80% or more dark cocoa. So, when it comes to cacao nibs, the more bitter, the better.

So among the 4 brands, Greenola is sweetest.

Chunkiness

Since we use cacao nibs as a snack or add it on our cereal for breakfast, we prefer the less chunkier ones. Also, when they are chunkier, the cacao nibs tend to have more coating than the actual cocoa bits- similar to fried chicken with thick breading.

Manila Super Foods has the chunkiest cacao nibs in this batch.

Price

The four products have different weights (in grams), so we computed it based on the cost per gram.

So, when it comes to price, The Superfood Grocer is the cheapest among the four brands.

Overall appeal

We must admit that we have been a fan of cacao nibs from The Superfood Grocer for months now but after this review, I think I am starting to love the ones from Cacao Culture Farms. I like its bitterness and crispness. Abi, on the other hand, still likes the version from The Superfood Grocer. It has the right amount of sweetness and it’s cheaper compared to other brands.