FAQs

Store Locations


Where can I buy Zimt in real life?

Good question! Please see this page for a list of locations.


Shipping

I live in Canada, or want to send Zimt to someone in Canada- how does shipping work for this?

Oh Canada… oh pricey shipping…
All shipping prices are calculated based upon real-time Canada Post calculations, which factor in the weight and outer dimensions of the packages sent. We try to keep things as reasonable as possible (we pack tight!) and will pass along whatever savings we can to you.
We ship out every Tuesday and Thursday to make sure you get your Zimt ASAP.
Please make sure you are home to get your treats if the arrival date is set to be a hot one!

Here are a few tips to save on shipping:

Order in larger quantities, less often! Our bars are good for a very long time (over a year) and we all know there will be birthdays and holidays during which you will likely want to gift some of your loved ones with some very special chocolate.

For example- shipping a box of 12 bars to Halifax costs about $15 whereas shipping a box of 96 bars costs about $22. We don’t get it either.
Also, ordering with plenty of time to get to you is very helpful! If you need rush shipping, we can get you just about anything within two days. However, rates sometimes quadruple.
Otherwise, your treats will get to you in nine days at the most (again, order extra to have on hand for when you get a craving!). This depends upon where you are located- if you live in a major city and choose Priority shipping, you could get your product the next day!
Canada Shipping Summary:
• Shipments go out every Tuesday and Thursday.
• Order lots (maybe with friends?), less often, to save on shipping.
• Order with plenty of time so you don’t require rush delivery and avoid high shipping prices
• Cookie Dough Cups are always pricey to ship- they need to be shipped so that they arrive quickly and can go straight into your freezer! (or be eaten right away… if you’d like.)


I live outside of Canada or I want to send Zimt to someone outside of Canada- how do I do this?

Since you probably want to receive chocolate within the decade, regardless of your ship to address, we go across the border and ship via United States Postal Service!

Shipping rates for international orders are also based on a real-time calculation of the USPS, same as with Canada Post (though, a lot less pricey!). USPS charges the best rates possible.
We ship out every Wednesday from Blaine, Washington to make sure you get your Zimt ASAP and so that you can avoid pricey shipping charges from Canada.
As with shipping to Canada, much of the same logic applies to shipping international orders.
Please make sure you are home to get your treats if the arrival date is set to be a hot one!

Here are a few tips to save on shipping:

Order in larger quantities, less often! Our bars are good for a very long time (over a year) and we all know there will be birthdays and holidays during which you will likely want to gift some of your loved ones with some very special chocolate.

Also, ordering with plenty of time to get to you is very helpful! If you need rush shipping, we can get you just about anything within two days. However, rates sometimes quadruple.

Otherwise, your treats will get to you in nine days at the most (again, order extra to have on hand for when you get a craving!). This depends upon where you are located- if you live in a major city and choose Priority shipping, you could get your product the next day!

International Shipping Summary:

  • Shipments go out every Wednesday from Blaine, Washington.
  • Order lots (maybe with friends?), less often, to save on shipping.
  • Order with plenty of time so you don’t require rush delivery and avoid high shipping prices
  • Cookie Dough Cups are always pricey to ship- they need to be shipped so that they arrive quickly and can go straight into your freezer! (or be eaten right away… if you’d like.)


Nutrition

Why is “raw” chocolate different from regular chocolate? 


The raw food industry is gaining momentum and is a great indication that people are wanting to consume more consciously.

A healthful raw foods diet (or meal!) should focus on whole, fresh, minimally processed foods – sprouts, greens, raw soaked nuts and seeds, fruit, and even some “superfoods”, if you feel so inclined (more on superfoods below!).

Raw cacao has recently gotten a lot of attention- some tests done, including those by the United States Department of Agriculture, show that raw cacao has some of the highest levels of antioxidants of any food.

The main difference between raw chocolate and regular chocolate, processing wise, is that the cacao beans in raw chocolate are not roasted, nor do they reach temperatures above about 49 °C. This number is considered by many to be the point at which digestive aiding enzymes can stay alive in most foods though this does vary greatly depending upon the food! In fact, as cacao beans are a little heartier, they are able to withstand higher temperatures than say, baby spinach, and keep more of their nutrients.

As raw cacao has not been processed in the same way as regular cacao, it can have some stimulating effects on people- for example, a lot of people say that they can’t eat raw cacao at night- or they won’t be able to sleep! People who don’t consume many other stimulants (such as caffeine, white sugar, or alcohol) may be more sensitive to the stimulating effects of raw cacao.

Nutrient speaking, good quality (as in, free of cane sugar, emulsifiers such as soya lecithin, and dairy products) is pretty impressive. Here is a bit of a breakdown:

Magnesium: Healthy muscle and nerve function, heart rhythm maintenance, strong bone building, and healthy immune system upkeep all require a diet offering a sufficient amount of magnesium. Without it, a slew of health problems can arise such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. And as it turns out, along with green leafy vegetables, beans and lentils, whole grains and avocado, cacao is an excellent source of magnesium!

Serotonin: Keep up with your chocolate consumption; keep your friends. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is synthesized from an amino acid protein molecule called L-tryptophan. It functions within the brain to regulate temperature, mood, appetite, sleep and pain. Without serotonin (or a sufficient amount), people’s behaviour can turn aggressive! According to Diana Walcutt, Ph.D. at PsychCentral, dark chocolate increases serotonin levels in the brain. However, she also states that milk products can reduce the benefits of cacao- so steer clear of milk products when you enjoy your Zimt!


Why don't you use milk ingredients?

Zimt is totally milk and dairy free for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, we are a vegan company who believes that milk should be left for the baby animals who really need it and should leave the cows in peace! Second, adding dairy products is just a filler- dairy is cheaper than cacao by a whole lot, and we want to fill your chocolate with the most cacao powered nutrition. Milk products have also been shown to have negative health impacts (for example, in The China Study, it is demonstrated that countries with high dairy intake are actually more likely to have citizens suffering from osteoporosis! There’s no way we want to contribute to that.). We want to focus on the beauty that plants have to offer- and the cacao tree is a prime example.

Why do you use coconut sugar to sweeten your products, Zimt?


Did you know that the Foods and Agriculture Organization (FOA) of the World Bank has declared coconut sugar to be the most sustainable sweetener in the world? Here are a few reasons why:

Tropical palm trees require very little water to survive and restore damaged soils
Coconut palms produce an average of 50 to 75% more sugar per acre than sugar cane (to make cane sugar) and use less than 20% of the soil nutrients and water for that production, compared to that of producing cane sugar
Coconut sugar production is performed by many traditional communities throughout the world, supporting farmers in earning their livelihood.
So, coconut sugar is great for our environment and for traditional communities, but what about for your body? More to come about this low GI sweetener, that is chock full of trace vitamins and minerals.


Why don’t you use soy?


… why would we?! You may see “soy lecithin” listed as an ingredient in many chocolates. It is often used as an emulsifier, that is, to make sure that the cocoa and the cocoa butter do not separate in chocolate (a natural process called “blooming”- when chocolate looks “chalky” or “powdery” on the surface. This is “blooming” happening).

Usually, soy lecithin does not affect those with soy allergies (as those who experience negative reactions when consuming soy are most often allergic to the soy protein, not the oil that is the soy lecithin).

Soy lecithin is not inherently bad- in fact, it can have many beneficial impacts, including cell protection, lowering cholesterol and even memory retention. However, it has also been cited to have some less than favorable side effects, including gastrointestinal problems, malabsorption, and low blood pressure.

But, the main reasons we don’t use soy lecithin in our chocolate bars are the following:

We don’t need it- why include it if it takes the place of any cacao and our chocolate is incredibly smooth without it?
Visually, it is so unappealing. Sure, you don’t see it when it is in your chocolate bar, but you haven’t seen it by itself. In a bowl. Rather sludge like.
So, no soy in Zimt. Soy free chocolate- for the allergies, for the purity of the cacao, and to avoid the ‘sludge’.


Why is your chocolate nut free?!

We know, we know! Nuts and chocolate are a rather remarkable combination- the buttery crunch of nuts and the smooth sweetness of chocolate- kind of meant to be.

However… when we first started making Zimt, we were manufacturing out of certified nut free facilities. Now, only certain nuts are processed in the facilities, but we would still like to make sure that our products are able to be enjoyed by as many people as possible. Nut allergies and sensitivities vary between individuals, and we are committed to offering as safe of a product as possible for all.

Here is what we recommend: get a Chocolate 70% bar, melt it in a double boiler (or, with a hair dryer… ), stir in some chopped nuts, set to refrigerate on parchment paper and, wow- bliss! You can also just smear a bar with peanut butter-


Does raw chocolate have fewer calories than regular chocolate?

If we are talking strictly cacao (as in, 100% dark chocolate without any sweeteners added) then 100% dark raw chocolate and 100% regular chocolate have the same number of calories. The main difference is with the sweeteners- since we use coconut sugar as our sweetener, chocolate with the same cacao content as Zimt, but using cane sugar, would not be as low in calories as Zimt. Cane sugar has about 960 calories per cup whereas coconut sugar (what we use!) has only about 720. So in that respect, Zimt would be a little lower in calories than its cane sugar counterpart.

Why don’t you use more exotic “super foods” in your chocolate?


In the Western world, we are pretty accustomed to chocolate- we grew up around it and have, perhaps, gotten a little too used to it. Sometimes, it seems as though chocolate is rather ordinary. However, very good chocolate is anything but.

We at Zimt are committed to providing you with excellent, cacao centered chocolate- sure, we offer a variety of bars with a variety of flavour accents, but we want you to enjoy it because it is delicious chocolate! Not a powdered sea vegetable, not a magical pulverized root, not experience inducing leaves. Chocolate.

We have nothing against superfoods other than cacao- on the contrary! They can be an excellent addition to smoothies, to be taken as tinctures, and enjoyed as teas. They have some incredible effects on people that founder, Emma, has felt first hand! But, we prefer to save them for the aforementioned and to keep good chocolate pure, recognizable, and always, always delicious.

 

Some Zimt Product Basics

What does “Zimt” mean?

“Zimt” means “cinnamon” in German- Zimt founder Emma’s first language. She wanted to pick a word from her mother tongue that wasn’t a million letters long and didn’t have any particularly foreign looking symbols in it. Somehow, Zimt popped into mind- good choice or what? =)

How should I store Zimt?

For chocolate bars, please keep them in cool (preferably between 13 °C and 18 °C) conditions. Macaroons should be kept at least this cold, though do well in the refrigerator- they also taste great cold!
Cookie Dough Cups- please keep them in the freezer, or refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Are your products gluten free?

Absolutely! All Zimt products are 100% gluten free.

What percentage of cacao is your chocolate?

All Zimt chocolate is made with our seventy percent (70%) cocoa content. We often hear that when it comes to chocolate cocoa content percentage that, “the higher the better”. Keep in mind, though, that Zimt is not using any regular cacao- we are using raw cacao, which generally is much, much higher in antioxidant levels than regular chocolate. Plus, the sweetener we use, coconut sugar, is all good- you don’t have to worry about increasing the cacao content in the chocolate you eat to avoid cane sugar when you eat Zimt!

Can I bake with Zimt even though it is raw?

Yes! Works great if you want to keep a recipe completely cane sugar free.

Ethics

Is your chocolate fair trade?

It is indeed. We get cacao from Ecuador and from Peru (certified fair trade by Transfair). Both sources are absolutely committed to making sure that those who harvest and process the cacao are treated as they should be- with respect and dignity (which, includes a fair pay check.)
In Ecuador, in addition to providing sufficient wages and safe working conditions, farmers are able to participate in programs to improve their lives. Such programs include providing farmers with solar powered flashlights, to avoid their having to spend money on expensive- and environmentally destructive- disposable batteries. Another program targets the lack of technology in schools and brings recycled computers into the education system.

Why are all of your products vegan?

All of our products are vegan because we want to respect other life forms as best we can- including human beings!
The United Nation’s report Lifestocks’ Long Shadow outlines the negative effects that livestock production has on soil health, the ozone layer, water security, and the rainforest. It is a rather convincing read and will make you feel like a bit of a superhero for living a vegan lifestyle (or just choosing one vegan meal at a time…).
Also, so many people feel a positive change in their health when they adopt a whole foods, plant-based lifestyle. We would love to support them in their journey towards health- a lot of chocolate out there contains dairy ingredients and having a plant based, totally vegan chocolate bar that tastes this amazing (if we may say so ourselves…) is really supporting a good cause! Transitioning to a healthier lifestyle isn’t always easy, but we will always bring you tasty vegan products to make the journey a delicious one.
Finally, we are a vegan company for the animals. We won’t go into details about what they endure to become food or to provide by-products such as dairy or eggs, but it is very safe to say that the conditions are usually horrible.
We even have our products certified vegan by the Vegan Society, for good measure.

Why are all of your products organic?

Choosing organic as often as possible is so important- not only does it often taste better (here’s looking at you, bananas!), but it also has some rather powerful effects- on one’s health, the environment, and on our fellow living creatures.
Organic foods must be grown without the use of synthetic pesticides or herbicides- this means that they are free of neurotoxins, toxins that can damage the brain and nerve cells. In fact, one commonly used class of pesticides called orgaophosphates was originally developed during World War I to be used as a toxic nerve agent. Industry adapted them to kill pests on food- pesticides. Given that bit of history, it is safe to say that many people avoid non-organic, or, “conventional” foods to avoid their exposure to these chemicals.
Organic foods also do not have artificial food additives, such as preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colorings, flavourings nor monosodium glutamate (MSG). Some of these food additives, such as certain food colourings like Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 have shown to cause child hyperactivity and even ADHD. MSG has been linked to hormonal imbalances, weight gain, headaches and even brain damage. Yikes!
Environmentally speaking, organic foods are much gentler on the earth. Soil health is preserved, increasing soil biodiversity and reduces nutrient depletion, thus maintaining soil quality for future crops. As well as many other benefits, water quality is also supported by organic agriculture, as conventional agriculture contributes to chemical supplies in groundwater.

So is all “organic” food created equal?

That depends. Some organic foods may well be processed organic (grown without chemicals and made without any artificial additives), but here is why we go with organic certification:
We have our products certified organic because this contributes to their integrity. While it is pretty easy to use organic ingredients to manufacture a finished product, having a product certified organic is anything but- an independent, third party certifies the products as being organic and tracks all incoming raw materials (cacao butter, cacao powder, and coconut sugar, for example, but also all essential oils, salt, cinnamon you name it!) and all finished products made (when they were made, which ingredients went into each batch, where the end products were sold). Zimt also has to make sure that all suppliers are certified organic according to Canadian standards. Not super easy- but at least you know that, yes, the product is very, very organic!
Having a product certified organic helps to insure that there is an independent source to verify the ingredients and processes used are in fact, organic. We all know how much the term “organic” has been sought after and food manufacturers are more than keen to stamp a product with the word whenever they can. However, only certified organic products have gone through third party documented certification.
That being said, companies run by those dedicated to only creating organic products will do so regardless of organic certification- so, if you don’t see the little organic symbol on any Zimt product one day, you can still be sure that all ingredients and processing methods would be certified organic. We may just have gotten a little fed up with the certifiers =)

How sustainable is your packaging?

Oh quite- our packaging is certified by the non-profit Forest Stewardship Council, meaning that the paper is guaranteed to have come from well managed forests. The forestry is practiced in an environmentally and socially way- new trees must be planted and existing forests cannot be depleted. Also, the plastic wrapper for the chocolate bars and Double Chocolate Macaroons are actually plant-based! Leave them in the compost for a few months and they will decompose. The cups that the Cookie Doughs are in will also decompose if left in those conditions.

What does it mean to be a One Percent for the Planet member?

Zimt is very, very proud to be a One Percent for the Planet member. What this means, is, that we have joined a global network of companies who are committed to dedicating one percent of sales of products baring the 1% For The Planet logo to environmental organizations worldwide- it is amazing what a group of committed companies can do! For example, so far, we have collectively donated $11 million each to food, wildlife, water and climate, $22 million to environmental education, and $18 million to land stewardship and environmental human health. Go team!

How do I know that the answers you gave are accurate?

Please check out the list of sources we used!
Magnesium: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-high-in-magnesium.php
Serotonin: http://www.livestrong.com/article/434221-dark-chocolate-and-serotonin/
Soy Lecithin: http://www.med-health.net/Soy-Lecithin.html
Food Additives: http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/7-dangerous-food-additives-and-chemicals-and-avoid-them.htm
Organic: http://www.fao.org/organicag/oa-faq/oa-faq6/en/
FSC: http://poolandpatio.about.com/od/patioglossary/g/FSC.htm

http://prismagraphic.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/what-does-fsc-certified-paper-mean/