Why Wait for Marriage? You Can Have This Virgin Chocolate Bar Now

A Brooklyn start-up is flipping the sinful, decadence typically associated with chocolate and creating something purer.

Raaka Chocolate makes their hipster artisanal chocolate with virgin cacao beans (un-roasted, hence the “virgin” branding), which apparently preserves their flavor and antioxidant properties.

Raaka is Finnish for “raw,” but you should use protection if you’re trying this chocolate. Most people find the taste to be a little off because the majority of processed chocolate on the market contains roasted beans (cocoa), but Raaka’s bars (sweetened with maple sugar or seasoned with ingredients like sea salt and tea) have been growing in popularity.

The chocolate is available in stores throughout the US, but chocolate lovers can also subscribe to a monthly subscription service starting at about $25. Subscribers can test out two new bar flavors and receive an additional classic bar each month.

The company strives for an equitable business model throughout their supply chain, which pays cacao farmers at least $500 more than the market price, resulting in an $8 chocolate bar, according to Food Navigator USA.

This wouldn’t be the first (or last) time someone paid a little more for a virgin.

Update 3:30 p.m. A previous version of this article inaccurately added honey as an additional ingredient used to sweeten Raaka’s chocolate. Additionally, William Mullan (Marketing Manager at Raaka) offered a clarifying statement in regards to the chocolate’s “off” flavor in comparison to more familiar chocolate bars:

“[Raaka Chocolate] tastes stronger, bolder, with the high notes of flavor standing out, which can get lost in the roast.”