Friday, June 29, 2012

Righteously Raw :: Organic, Raw Chocolate Bars {Review}


Righteously Raw produces raw chocolates at the highest quality available. Their antioxidant rich, exotic flavors will have you questioning every chocolate you've ever tasted before. They are truly unique in texture, taste, and quality. I'm also thrilled about the proactive approach that Righteously Raw has taken to produce the best possible products and keep their customers informed through labeling and certifications. Labeling is important to me! I want to know where my food comes from, what certifications it has, how safe it is for me to eat, and what allergens and ingredients it does or does not include. Raw chocolate from Righteously Raw include labels from Non-GMO Project Verified, CSA Gluten-Free Certified, Vegan Verified and USDA Organic just to name a few. Information like this helps us make the most informed decision possible when it comes to our healthy, so naturally I gravitate towards companies like Righteously Raw when I shop.

In my previous review, I sampled the Bite Size Raw Chocolates and Chocolate Dipped Macaroons. This time I had the pleasure of receiving all 5 of their raw chocolate bars. Each bar contains 100% Organic, raw ingredients from start to finish, no refined sugars, no soy or dairy, no gluten and no GMOs. Each of these bars are filled in the middle with "an exotic superfood truffle" to achieve the flavor listed. You can see what I'm talking about in the photos. The Maca and Rose bars are actually not just dark chocolate on the outside, so their colors are visibly different. 
Goji Cacao Bar (90% Cacao) - This one has a little more flavor and texture than the other two dark chocolate-covered bars due to the goji berry and fig truffle center. The truffle center has a strong and flavorful fruity background, enhancing the dark chocolate's sweet, rich side. The center is also not very smooth so you have a bit to chew and I think this helps bring out all the flavors a bit more too. The Goji Cacao bar is my second favorite after the Acai Cacao Bar.

Caramel Cacao Bar (90% Cacao) - This is not your regular creamy caramel at all. Instead it's actually a bit more chewy. It has a texture and taste similar to a date paste thanks to the lucuma fruit truffle center. Although the truffle center is not my favorite of all the bars, it does tone down any bitterness from the dark chocolate outside quite well and it's growing on me a little bit. Lucuma is an uncommon superfood and is traditionally used in ice cream and deserts. It has a high nutritional value with high levels of beta-carotene and iron, as well as other vitamins and minerals.
Acai Cacao Bar (80% Cacao) - This bar is wonderful. To me it tastes like eating chocolate raisins in bar form with the a heavy amount of antioxidants and other benefits of the Acai Berry superfood. To me this is the most "normal" tasting of all the bars and definitely one I will indulge in again!

Maca (Chocolate) Bar - I've heard of Maca before and how it's great for balancing hormones and increasing libido. However, I haven't tried it up to this point and honestly, I didn't enjoy it at all. The Maca is found in the light brown outside of this bar, combined with cacao butter and a few other ingredients. To me it tastes bitter, with undertones of coffee and even beer. Weird, I know, but the flavor evolved each time I tried it. I know how good this bar is for you, but it's not one I would be able to eat again.

Rose (Maqui) Bar - This was a very unique chocolate, if you can even really call it that! Rose Bar is a very fitting name since this bar has a strong aroma of roses and even gives strong hints of rose as you bite in and continue to eat and taste it. It's interesting to see how the senses interact as you eat a bar like this. There are also beets, raspberry and rose essence oils that lend to it's floral and fruity notes. I really don't taste any chocolate per se, although there it cacao butter as part of the outside. This bar melts in your mouth a bit more than the other flavors, and has a slightly gritty texture, although not bothersome. I've never heard of Maqui until now, but it is considered by some to be the number one superfood today. The Maqui berry can be found inside the truffle portion of the bar.

This time around with Righteously Raw was a truly unique experience of aromas and flavors. Although I didn't enjoy the Maca Bar, Buddy did and asked for more! I was very surprised that such exotic flavors made it past him so easily. I guess he knows a high quality chocolate when he tastes it! If you enjoy unique chocolates and have an appreciation for the extremely healthy ingredients in these bars, then you'll love the raw chocolate bars from Righteously Raw.

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Price: $5.99/bar (At my local Whole Foods)
 
Buy It: Check out RighteouslyRawChocolate.com to find a retail location (type in your zip code at the top!).

 
Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product(s) to facilitate this review for free. No other compensation was received. This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

3 comments:

Celebrate Woman said...

I would love to try these bars myself! Thank you for finding this product and sharing it with us all.

Unknown said...

I am so going to have to find these! I need a YUMMY nondairy chocolate bar! Thank you for sharing! :)

Brittney Minor said...

So funny! I just saw these for the first time at my local health food store! Now I will have to try them! Thanks for sharing!