Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

The world we live in now is vastly different than when we evolved into modern man.

In the beginning, before the discovery of fire, man largely ate a raw food diet. From studies of different cultures around the world in regard to cancer rates traditional local diets have a profound effect on these statistics.
Ancient tribes and cultures still eating traditional diets are shown to have very low or zero incidence of cancers.
Some of the most freakishly healthy looking people I've met lately are living proof that raw, natural, and unprocessed foods have had a positive effect on their lives.
Does this mean we all have to take the Bear Grylls' approach and bite into raw, wild game?
Well maybe not, but raw foodists believe that enzymes in raw foods like amylases, proteases and lipases aid digestion; and heating food above 40-49 degree Celsius degrades or destroys these enzymes in food.
Raw foodists also believe also that alkaline living in foods neutralise free radicals, which would make green smoothies powerful, antioxidant drinks.
So now, increasingly, I'm noticing the words raw on certain products, like raw cacao – which isn't cocoa spelt wrong – but the same powder in its raw unadulterated form. Being bitter and rich like dark chocolate, it has that ‘x factor' feel-good stuff we sometimes need.
From observing nature we have learned that many species flourish on certain diets and naturally avoid foods that will harm them.
So why can't we listen to our own primal taste buds buried deep within us all?

Cacao and coconut slice

Ingredients:

2 cups self-raising flour
2 Tbsp cacao powder
2 cups desiccated coconut
200g butter
200g dark coconut sugar

For the icing:

2 cups icing sugar
2 cups coconut
2 Tbsp cacao powder
6-8 Tbsp hot water

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Mix together the flour, coconut and cacao. Melt butter in a saucepan with the dark coconut sugar until all melted. Mix all together and then press into lines a 31x 22cm slice tray. Bake for 15 minutes. Mix together the icing ingredients to a firm icing.
Remove slice from oven and allow to cool briefly before icing while still warm – this helps topping stick when cutting it up.
It's a little bit naughty but a great treat for kid's lunchboxes and provides a good dose
of antioxidants.