Chocolate and the ADHD Brain: Why It’s So Enticing (But Not a Cure)
It’s UK Chocolate Week - a celebration of all the joy, craft, and creativity that chocolate brings. For me, chocolate has always been more than a treat. As someone with ADHD, it’s been a source of focus, clarity, and a little dopamine boost, helping me navigate busy mornings and the whirlwind of thoughts in my head.
Over the years, that fascination turned into a calling: making chocolate from bean to bar became my way of channeling energy, curiosity, and creativity into something meaningful.
The Science of the Craving
Chocolate is extraordinary. It’s full of compounds that make our brains light up in small but satisfying ways:
Caffeine and theobromine - gentle stimulants that can help with alertness and focus.
Sugar and fat - instant energy and that comforting hit of dopamine.
Phenylethylamine - often called the “love chemical,” though its effects in chocolate are mild.
Flavanols - antioxidants that may support blood flow and brain function.
Anandamide - a natural compound that interacts with our brain’s pleasure system.
My own research shows that dark chocolate actually contains comparable amounts of caffeine to tea, depending on the percentage of cacao. I’ve always been sensitive to caffeine in tea - it doesn’t take much to get my brain functioning better, and each morning I rely on at least two cups of tea to get my thoughts and focus steady-ish! It’s no wonder chocolate has always been nearby, and dark chocolate specifically was something I would seek out from a young age.
Folks with ADHD have brains that often run on lower baseline dopamine, so those little boosts can feel extra rewarding. Our brains are literally wired to seek out what feels interesting, stimulating, and satisfying.
The Reality Check
It’s important to say this clearly: Chocolate is not a treatment for ADHD.
In my experience, chocolate brings focus and clarity, and yes, a welcome hit of dopamine. But it doesn’t do much for the other sides of ADHD: emotional regulation, self-doubt, and the ever-present imposter syndrome. What it can do is provide small, grounding moments, little bursts of energy and joy that make the day flow more easily.
Finding Flow
Making chocolate has been a way to channel ADHD energy into something tangible and meaningful. Before chocolate, it was knitting, before that baking - always something to keep my hands and mind occupied. There’s something so grounding about the repetition of chocolate making - roasting, cracking, grinding - yet endlessly fascinating in the nuances of flavour and texture.
It’s a perfect balance of sensory pleasure and precise focus, which might be why so many neurodivergent makers find flow in crafting.
Chocolate Week reflection
This Chocolate Week, I’m taking a moment to appreciate what chocolate has meant in my own life. For me, it’s never just a treat - it’s moments of focus and creativity. Making chocolate from bean to bar has been a way to channel my energy into something meaningful.
So as you enjoy chocolate this week, I hope you take a moment to notice the little joys it brings - the flavours, the textures, and perhaps even a touch of focus for your busy brain!
Volcanic Soils and the Flavour of Cacao
When we think about chocolate, we often think of sweetness, richness, or indulgence. But before any of these come to life, there is soil. For cacao, soil is the beginning of everything, and some of the most extraordinary cacao in the world comes from volcanic soils.
This September, our Earth Subscription Box includes a bar that embodies this story (and our best selling bar): the El Salvador Hacienda La Carrera 70%, grown on land shaped by volcanoes.
What Makes Volcanic Soil Special?
Volcanic soils, also called andisols (derived from the Japanese words for dark-coloured soil), are formed from ash and lava deposits. Over time, these break down into soils that are:
Mineral-rich - packed with nutrients like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron.
Moisture-retentive - volcanic soils hold water without becoming waterlogged, creating a steady supply of hydration.
Well-draining - essential for cacao, which thrives in soils that balance water with aeration.
For cacao trees, these conditions are close to perfect: fertile, well-structured soils that encourage deep root systems and healthy growth.
Volcanic Landscapes in El Salvador
El Salvador is known as the “Land of Volcanoes” - with more than 20 active and dormant volcanoes which are part of the Central America Volcanic Arc. Cacao has grown here for centuries, nurtured by these volcanic terrains.
On farms like Hacienda La Carrera, cacao trees grow in soils enriched by ancient eruptions. These soils give the beans a unique terroir: a flavour shaped not just by climate, but by the very geology beneath the trees.
How Soil Shapes Flavour
Nutrient & Mineral Richness:
Volcanic soils are exceptionally fertile and rich in minerals, which are absorbed by the cacao tree and contribute to the unique chemical makeup of the bean.
Genetic Expression:
The soil composition affects the nutrients available to the cacao plants, influencing their growth and the expression of their genetic potential, which directly impacts the flavour of the beans.
Specific Flavor Notes:
Depending on the specific volcanic composition, different regions develop distinct flavours.
Distinct "Terroir":
The combination of volcanic soil with local climate and other environmental factors creates a unique terroir, similar to how wine grapes reflect their vineyard's environment.
The Earth Beneath Every Bar
Choosing chocolate like this isn’t just about tasting something delicious, it’s about connecting to the landscapes that make it possible. Volcanic soils in El Salvador support cacao farming communities, providing fertile ground that sustains families while shaping the chocolate we love.
By including the El Salvador Hacienda La Carrera in our Earth Box, we invite you to taste not just cacao, but the story of soil, volcanoes, and roots.
✨ So next time you break off a piece of this bar, pause for a moment. You’re tasting the richness of volcanic earth, transformed by sun, rain, and time into chocolate. ✨
Further Reading & Sources
Perfect Daily Grind – How volcanic soil affects the flavour of coffee and cacao
Behind the Bar: My El Salvador Chocolate Adventure & the Story of Our Award-Winning Cacao
I just got back from the most incredible trip to El Salvador, and I wanted to share what I learned with you. As you know, I use amazing cacao from Hacienda La Carrera in El Salvador in my 70% multi award-winning chocolate bar - so having the opportunity to see where it comes from, meet the farmers, and understand their craft on a deeper level was a truly life changing experience for me.
Cacao farming in El Salvador is experiencing a bit of a renaissance. In the first half of 2024 alone, cacao exports hit a 30-year high - up over 20% from last year! This is huge, not just for the farmers but for the preservation of a tradition that had nearly disappeared.
A big part of this success is thanks to Belco Cacao, the traders who organised this trip and who are working closely with farmers to help them create world-class cacao while growing sustainable businesses. Their commitment goes beyond trade - they’re providing real support to farmers so they can improve quality, increase yields, and build a future for Salvadoran cacao.
During my visit, I had the privilege of exploring several remarkable farms:
Finca Chiquihuat – Run by Dr. Herbert Betancourt, he started to grow cacao trees just 10 years ago, and now the farm is jam packed with beautiful trees of many kinds. Initially, he began planting Trinitarios brought in from the Trinidad research institute, but since realised that he wanted to focus on regenerating the ancestral varieties that originally existed in El Salvador. On the farm are other rare timbers, that act as the perfect shade for cacao trees, which prefer to be protected from direct sun.
Hacienda Comalapa – A 300-hectare farm balancing sugar cane and cacao cultivation. They are beginning to increase the amount of cacao, as the sugar cane is damaging the soil quality over time. They are bringing cacao back to this area for the first time in 200 yrs. This farm is certified Organic, which is unusual. Although all of the cacao farms are using organic methods, few can pay for the certification, it's not worth their time or the expense when their harvests are small.
Hacienda San Jose Real de la Carrera – The largest cacao plantation in El Salvador, and where I source my El Salvador beans from. I've been working with these beans for 3.5 years, and it's still my favourite chocolate. I've long dreamt of coming here and sharing my chocolate with the growers, closing the circle and bringing it back to where it started. This was an emotional visit for me!
And here’s something truly amazing: Belco Cacao has started an initiative to bring Salvadoran cacao to Europe by sailboat! That means lower carbon emissions and an even more sustainable future for fine chocolate. It’s an inspiring reminder that every step of this process, from farm to bar, matters.
Seeing all of this firsthand makes me even prouder to use Salvadoran cacao in my chocolate. When you taste my bar, you’re tasting the work of generations of farmers who are fighting to keep this tradition alive.
Want to experience the flavours of El Salvador for yourself? Try my award-winning 70% bar, made with the very cacao I saw being grown, harvested, and expertly fermented. Click here to order and taste the story in every bite!
Thank you for being part of this journey - your love for craft chocolate helps support these farmers and their incredible cacao.
Stay sweet,
Nicola