After nearly five years living in Australia I finally became a citizen a few weeks ago. Genuinely it was one of the proudest days of my life and I feel privileged to live in this wonderful country. Originally myself and my wife moved over so our son would have a better lifestyle. However, I think we have all massively benefited from the experience. Another added bonus is that there are several micro brands producing a fantastic range of gourmet food products. A great example is an exclusive confectionary manufacturer called The Chocolate Yogi.
Like all 7-year old boys my son Paolo has an exceptionally sweet tooth. However, he reacts very badly to sugar and his behaviour becomes somewhat erratic. We definitely don’t want to deprive him from eating delicious treats. Therefore (because we are a pretty health conscious family) we looked for suitable alternatives. The problem is that a lot of raw chocolate (without refined sugar) tastes delicious to me but not to Paolo. That is why The Chocolate Yogi fascinated me because they have branded their products in a really fun way.
The Chocolate Yogi was established by married couple Ed and Malindi Lower in 2014. Ultimately this dynamic duo combined their passion for food and yoga to create this boutique company. At first glance you might be mistaken for thinking that this is an indulgent and unhealthy snack. Certainly most parents would be alarmed by flavours like Peppermint Jazz, Frothy Toffee and Astral Caramel Crunch. However, these sweet delights are made from pure organic natural ingredients and contain absolutely no refined sugar at all.
As part of my research for this article I had the tough challenge of sampling all six varieties (Humbly Bumbly, Head in the Clouds, Astral, Peppermint Jazz, Frothy Toffee, Happy Thoughts). Each bar is entirely made by hand and the cacao beans are meticulously stoneground for 48-hours. The intensity, aroma, depth of flavour is truly sophisticated and works on so many levels. I love the overall richness and complexity that normally isn’t present in other confectionary. In fact, I would go so far to say that most people would really enjoy this mouth watering natural treat. Ultimately this is because The Chocolate Yogi only use the finest ingredients like evaporated coconut nectar, raw coconut, raw lucuma (South American fruit powder) Vanilla and raw cacao.
As well a producing a high quality product the company is also dedicated to philanthropic causes. For each bar sold The Chocolate Yogi has donated 10 cents to sustainable projects. For example, they have raised $4,000 (with a goal of $25,000) for Sea Shepherd Australia, which protect whales in the Southern Ocean.
For more information about The Chocolate Yogi follow this link.