What Are Superfoods? Meet the Ingredients Inside Your Chocolate
Maca. Açaí. Yerba mate. Turmeric. Acerola cherry.
They sound like ingredients you’d expect to find in the wellness aisle, blended into smoothies or sprinkled over breakfast bowls.
But what about… chocolate?
At Zazubean, some of these ingredients have been hanging out in our chocolate bars for years.
As routines pick back up; school mornings, commutes, packed calendars and all. We thought it was the perfect time to get curious about the ingredients behind our Superfood chocolate line.
So, what exactly is a superfood? And what are ingredients like maca and camu camu doing inside a chocolate bar?
Grab a square. We’re getting into it.
First Things First: What Is a Superfood?
Here’s something that might surprise you: “superfood” doesn’t have an official scientific or regulated definition.
It’s a popular term generally used to describe foods that are particularly rich in certain nutrients or plant compounds. And while ingredients marketed as superfoods can absolutely be part of a varied diet, no single ingredient has magical powers.
Harvard’s Nutrition Source points out that the term is largely a marketing concept rather than a scientifically defined food category. In other words, eating one “superfood” isn’t going to transform your health overnight; and we’re perfectly okay with that.
We’d rather get curious about what these ingredients actually are, where they come from, and what makes them interesting.
Especially when chocolate is involved.
1. Maca: The Root Hiding in CHEEKY & LUNATIC
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a root native to the Peruvian Andes, where it has been cultivated and eaten for thousands of years.
Nutritionally, maca contains carbohydrates, fibre and protein, along with minerals and naturally occurring plant compounds such as polyphenols, glucosinolates and macamides.
So, what’s maca known for?
Traditionally, maca has been valued as a food associated with energy, stamina and vitality. Modern research has explored some of those traditional uses, including potential effects on energy, mood, physical performance and sexual health.
Some human studies have reported promising results; for example, improvements in self-reported energy, mood and quality-of-life measures, but the overall body of clinical evidence is still developing.
At Zazubean, you'll find maca paired with chocolate in two very different ways:
CHEEKY Salted Toffee & Banana pairs 70% dark chocolate with banana and salted toffee.
LUNATIC Mint & Cocoa Nibs takes things in a completely different direction with 73% dark chocolate, mint and crunchy cocoa nibs.
Same superfood. Two very different chocolate personalities.
2. Açaí: More Than a Smoothie Bowl
Long before colourful açaí bowls took over Social Media, açaí was part of food culture in the Amazon region.
Açaí berries are particularly interesting because of their naturally occurring anthocyanins; plant pigments responsible for the deep red, purple and blue colours found in many fruits and vegetables.
What Is Açaí Good For?
Anthocyanins have attracted significant nutrition research because of their antioxidant and biological properties.
Recent reviews of human research suggest anthocyanin intake may have beneficial effects on some cardiovascular, metabolic and inflammatory markers, although the quality and strength of the evidence varies depending on the outcome.
Translation?
There's legitimate science behind studying colourful plant foods—but that doesn't mean açaí is a miracle berry.
We think that's interesting enough without the hype.
You'll find açaí in FLIRT, where it joins raspberry and cherry in 70% dark chocolate.
3. Yerba Mate: The South American Classic Inside HOTTIE
If you've spent time in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay or southern Brazil, you've probably seen yerba mate being passed around before.
Made from the leaves of Ilex paraguariensis, yerba mate has a long cultural history in South America.
And unlike some ingredients on this list, there's something you may actually feel from yerba mate:
It naturally contains caffeine.
What Is Yerba Mate Good For?
Yerba mate contains caffeine alongside polyphenols and other plant compounds.
The caffeine can contribute to increased alertness, which helps explain why mate has traditionally been enjoyed as a stimulating beverage.
Scientists are also studying its phenolic compounds for possible effects on areas such as cardiovascular and metabolic health. However, a critical review of the evidence notes that human research remains limited and sometimes conflicting.
Chocolate + chili + cinnamon + mate?
HOTTIE wasn't exactly designed to be shy.
Meet the bar: HOTTIE
4. Turmeric: The Golden Ingredient Inside SQUEEZE
You probably recognize this one by its colour before its name.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) belongs to the ginger family and has been used in cooking for centuries, particularly across South and Southeast Asia.
Its famous golden-yellow colour comes largely from curcumin, one of turmeric's major components.
What Is Turmeric Good For?
Turmeric and curcumin have become major subjects of nutrition and supplement research, particularly around inflammation and joint health.
There are some promising findings. For example, reviews of clinical research have found preliminary evidence that curcuminoids may help with certain measures of knee osteoarthritis, including pain and function.
You'll find it inside SQUEEZE Orange & Ginger, where 70% dark chocolate meets orange, ginger and turmeric.
Golden spice 🤝 dark chocolate.
We approve.
Meet the bar: SQUEEZE
5. Acerola Cherry: The Tiny Fruit Inside NUTBAR
Açaí gets all the publicity.
Acerola deserves an introduction.
Also known as Barbados cherry or West Indian cherry, acerola (Malpighia emarginata) is a small tropical fruit particularly notable for being naturally rich in vitamin C.
It also contains polyphenols and other plant compounds.
What Is Acerola Good For?
Vitamin C performs several important functions in the body. It contributes to normal immune function, acts as an antioxidant and is required for collagen synthesis, among other roles.
There's also some interesting research specifically involving acerola rather than isolated vitamin C.
A small human study comparing acerola juice with an equivalent amount of isolated ascorbic acid found differences in how vitamin C was absorbed and excreted, suggesting other components of the fruit may influence vitamin C bioavailability.
You'll find acerola cherry inside NUTBAR Coconut & Almond, alongside 70% dark chocolate, coconut and roasted almonds.
Meet the bar: NUTBAR
6. Cacao Nibs: Plot Twist, Chocolate Was Interesting All Along
We saved the most obvious ingredient for last.
Because before chocolate becomes the smooth, melty bar we know and love, there's cacao.
Cacao nibs are pieces of crushed cacao beans.
They're crunchy, intensely chocolatey and much less sweet than finished chocolate.
And cacao itself contains naturally occurring compounds called flavanols, which are part of the larger polyphenol family.
What Are Cacao Nibs Good For?
Cocoa flavanols are probably among the most extensively studied compounds in this article.
Human research has investigated flavanol-rich cocoa in relation to cardiovascular function and cognition, and some clinical trials have reported beneficial effects.
However, here's a particularly important chocolate fact:
not all chocolate contains the same amount of flavanols.
Cacao variety, fermentation, roasting, processing and the final formulation can all influence the amount that remains in a cocoa product. Researchers therefore caution against assuming that every dark chocolate bar delivers the same flavanol dose; or the same effects observed in studies using specially formulated high-flavanol cocoa products.
You'll find crunchy cocoa nibs inside NAKID, and alongside LUNATIC.
So, What Makes These Ingredients So Interesting?
Maca, açaí, yerba mate, turmeric, acerola cherry and cacao nibs each bring something different to the table.
Some are naturally rich in vitamins or plant compounds. Others have been enjoyed for generations in cultures around the world. And each has its own flavour, origin and story worth discovering.
That’s what we love about superfoods: there’s always a little more to learn about what’s behind the ingredient.
And when those ingredients meet really good chocolate? Well, that’s where things get especially interesting.
Superfoods, Meet Chocolate
At Zazubean, chocolate has always been about more than satisfying a sweet craving. It’s about creating something delicious while being thoughtful about what goes into every bar.
Maybe you reach for LUNATIC because you love mint and discover maca along the way.
Maybe FLIRT introduces you to açaí beyond the smoothie bowl.
Or maybe NUTBAR is the reason acerola cherry suddenly becomes part of your vocabulary.
That’s the fun of it.
Every bar has its own personality, flavour combination and something new to discover; whether that’s an ingredient you’ve loved for years or one you’re meeting for the very first time.
So next time you unwrap one, take a look at the front of the package.
Your favourite chocolate might have a little more inside than you realized.
Explore Zazubean’s Superfood Chocolate Collection
Life’s little chocolate moments, with a little something extra.
References
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2026). Superfoods or superhype? The Nutrition Source.
