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Bringing Some Spice to Your Life in the Colder Months: An Introduction to our Red Hokkaido Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate

As a part of our Winter Solstice collection we have collaborated with the one, the only, the celebrated gourd?… squash?… Vegetable?… Cucurbita?… (technically fruit)? The pumpkin! And in our case the Red Hokkaido pumpkin. The versatile pumpkin has wormed its way into folktales, lattes, soups and become a mascot for all things spooky. There must be a reason for its prolific-ness, so how could we not jump on the bandwagon? But why have we chosen the Red Hokkaido Pumpkin specifically and what can you expect from one of the newest chocolates to be welcomed into the Radek’s Chocolate family?

What is a Red Hokkaido Pumpkin, I hear you ask?

Well, the Red Hokkaido Pumpkin originates from Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture of Japan. Also known as the Red Kuri Squash, it is a version of the Hubbard squash, which was brought from America to Japan in 1878. It was refined by growers in Hokkaido to acquire a more chestnutty and sweet flavour to the original pumpkin. They were selectively bred to be smaller in size, averaging at around 15-18cm in diameter and roughly 2-3 pumpkins can grow on each sprawling vine. The pumpkin was introduced to the European market much later. After years of cultivation, it is thought to be brought to Europe in the 1980s. Though the origins of the Red Hokkaido Pumpkin takes us across the pond, we source ours from Daynes Farm near Totnes, keeping it local.

FUN FACT: Kuri (栗) is Japanese for Chestnut – referring to the chestnut flavour of the pumpkin.

WHY WE CHOSE RED HOKKAIDO PUMPKINS

As mentioned earlier, this particular little pumpkin has a sweeter taste to the usual types that you may find in the supermarket. This is a great natural sweetener to chocolate and combined with spices like nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and other goodnesses, like ours is, it becomes a beautiful wintery treat. When the chocolate hits those taste buds, it makes us think of cosiness in front of a fire. This wonderful new chocolate recipe will be available in bar and hot chocolate form. We can’t wait for you to try it for yourselves and let us know what you think!

FUN FACT: Scientists believe that pumpkins originate from North America around 9000 years ago.

eat a pumpkin for good health

Pumpkins have an array of nutritional benefits. They provide a great source of fibre which supports digestive health. Their high antioxidant content, like beta-carotene and Vitamin C, contributes to immunity support and fighting free-radicals. In Japan, there is even a tradition often practiced on the Winter Solstice or Toji (冬至), where you eat pumpkin (usually the Kabocha squash) to promote good health, good luck and good fortune during the winter months. This stemmed from it being historically hard to source vegetables during the colder months, pumpkins however are some of the latest to be harvested and can be stored at room temperature for significantly longer than other vegetables. Thus, getting the nutritional benefits on even the darkest day of the year. If you want to learn about other Winter Solstice traditions from afar or closer to home, stay tuned for our Winter Solstice blog post…

a recipe you can try!

If you are as intrigued as we were in the Red Hokkaido Pumpkin and would like to have a go at cooking with it, here is a recipe recommended by Radek himself!

Pumpkin & Apple Spice Cake

Ingredients:
– 1 cup mashed light-roasted Hokkaido pumpkin
– 2 eggs (or substitute with ½ cup additional pumpkin purée for a vegan version)
– 1 cup almond flour
– 1 cup white spelt flour (or use a gluten-free flour blend if preferred)
– 1 cup deodorised coconut oil, gently melted
-1 cup coconut sugar
– 2 tsp pumpkin spice mix (cinnamon, ginger powder, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, cloves, fennel)
– 1 large apple, finely diced
– ⅓-½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
– 1 tsp baking powder
– ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
– Pinch of salt
-Melted Radek’s Chocolate, for topping

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease or line your cake mould (s).
2. Combine dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, spelt flour, pumpkin spice mix, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.
3. Blend wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin purée, eggs (or pumpkin substitute), coconut sugar, and melted coconut oil until smooth and well combined.
4. Combine mixtures: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently fold until just combined.
5. Add extras: Stir in the diced apple and chopped walnuts.
6. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared moulds and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Finish: Allow the cake to cool slightly, then drizzle with melted Radek’s Chocolate of your choice.