Chocolate…

To me, chocolate is one of the most magical foods on the planet.

Real, unadulterated chocolate—made the old-fashioned way—is rich in magnesium, iron, antioxidants, and even mood-lifting compounds. It was so prized by the ancient Aztecs that it was once used as currency.

But somewhere along the way, we lost the magic.

Not ALL Chocolate is Created EQUAL…

Here’s the thing: most people think chocolate is chocolate…According to FDA regulations, a product only needs 10% cacao to be legally labeled as chocolate. Just 10%!

And guess what? That’s exactly what most mass-market brands use—just enough to legally call it chocolate. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate and Snickers contain as little as 10–11% actual cacao. The rest? Milk solids, sugar, emulsifiers, artificial flavors, and stabilizers.

They’re NOT chocolate bars. They’re sugar bars in disguise.

Real Bread. Real Chocolate

Just like a true sourdough loaf contains only three ingredients—flour, water, and salt—real chocolate is equally simple: Cacao solids, cacao butter, and sugar.

The % you see on a chocolate tells you how much of it is actually cacao.

• 100% = pure cacao, no sugar (bitter and powerful!) I put 100% cacao nibs in the popular CinnaRaisin Protein Loafs.

• 70% = 70% cacao solids + cacao butter, 30% sugar

• 55% = 55% cacao solids + cacao butter, 45% sugar

If you’re eating something with a laundry list of ingredients or less than 50% cacao… it probably isn’t nourishing your body or your soul.

Cacao vs. Cocoa — What’s the Difference?

Ever wonder why some bars say “cacao” while others say “cocoa”?

Here’s the breakdown:

• Cacao typically refers to the raw, cold-processed form of the cacao bean. It retains more of the natural antioxidants and minerals like magnesium and iron.

• Cocoa is the roasted version of cacao. It can be either natural (more acidic) or Dutch-processed (alkalized to reduce bitterness), but roasting reduces some of the nutritional value.

When I’m making chocolate items at The Little Bread Box, I mostly use raw cacao powder, chocolate callets, high-quality chocolate chips, and a touch of Dutch-processed cocoa when it makes sense for the recipe.

My bulk chocolate chips come from Pascha Chocolate, a brand I trust for clean ingredients and ethical sourcing.

How to Spot Real Chocolate (and Avoid the Junk)

When shopping for quality chocolate, here’s what to look for:

#1: Bean-to-bar practices (know where your cacao comes from)

#2: Minimal ingredients (cacao solids, cacao butter, and sugar)

#3: Avoid:

Heavy metals (lead & cadmium often found in low-grade bars)
High-fructose corn syrup
Artificial flavors (like vanillin)
Partially hydrogenated oils
Soy lecithin and chemical stabilizers

Chocolate can absolutely be good for you…But only when it’s real.

A Little Movie Magic…

I’ve always loved the film ‘Chocolat’—the fantasy of a woman opening a tiny chocolatier shop in a sleepy French town, offering handmade confections that awaken people’s senses and souls.

There’s something powerful about the idea that food can meet you where you are—that the right bite, at the right moment, can bring joy, comfort, or even healing.

For a while, I dreamed of opening a shop like that. But in an unexpected twist of fate, I moved to Chagrin Falls and opened The Little Bread Box instead.

And the beautiful thing? Chocolate and bread go perfectly together.