Recent news reports linking high sugar consumption to heart disease left many a chocolate-candy lover feeling heartbroken. There’s nothing like the occasional creamy morsel to inject moments of sweetness and pleasure into a demanding lifestyle.

But when one chocolate door closes, another opens. Consider cacao nibs, the essence from which chocolate candy originates, as an addition to savory food. They add texture and hues of flavor to everything from yogurt and salads to pasta and braised meat.

Nibs, roasted and shelled cacao beans that have been cracked into pieces, have different flavor profiles depending on the type of cacao and the "terroir," or environment, where it was grown. Just as wine grapes or coffee beans are affected by terroir, cacao beans can be fruity and floral or earthy and nutty, depending on the qualities of the soil in which it’s grown, the elevation of the land and the amount of rain and sun it gets, to name a few factors.

Tamara Armstrong, director of operations at Manoa Chocolate Hawaii, where they roast and process cacao, says the flavor profile of a bean determines how it will pair with food. Manoa Chocolate is among the participants in the Hawaii Chocolate Festival on Feb. 22 at the Shops at Dole Cannery.

"Nibs are 55 percent cocoa butter and 45 percent solids. The solids are what gives it its flavor. Roasted nibs can have notes of everything from raspberry to butterscotch to spices. These are subtle differences but they’re definitely there," she said.

A tart, fruity nib would pair well with vinaigrette, hence a salad; or fruit, making it a good addition to yogurt with fresh fruit and honey. Earthy nibs that possess deep, spicy, intense flavors are often ground and infused into sauces or rubbed on meat. These provide a roasted, deep chocolatey note.

Armstrong recommends a simple salad recipe to customers who want to try cacao nibs in food. It’s basically greens topped with sliced strawberries and Parmesan cheese, then sprinkled with fruity nibs and tossed with a vinaigrette.

Other folks at Manoa Chocolate have taken to experimenting with nibs. Liz Bartemes, a chocolate-making assistant and customer service representative, said she became fascinated with cacao nibs when she was given some to taste while learning about the roasting process. Soon, Bartemes was munching on nibs all the time, and after hearing from foodie customers that nibs are all the rage in Seattle and San Francisco restaurants, she began adding them to her food.

"I think of nibs as a replacement for nuts or granola," she said of using them as a condiment for yogurt. "It’s easy to use as a replacement in any recipe. It has crunch and texture."

Bartemes also incorporates nibs into a chicken salad recipe as a stand-in for pecans, uses it as a rub for steak, sprinkles it over a baked oatmeal dish and atop banana and pumpkin breads.

Manoa Chocolate cacao roaster Andrew Wary says he’s "played with nibs quite a bit." Growing up with a restaurateur father, Wary has developed a sensibility for how flavors and textures work together in a dish.

Wary says that while it may take a while for a person’s palate to be able to taste the various flavor notes — "For most people, when they first try nibs, all they can taste is bitterness" — "there’s a definite fruitiness to them, banana-type or berry notes."

Among Wary’s favorite preparations is combining 70 percent nibs and 30 percent black peppercorns, grinding them to a "fine dust," then using it as a dry rub on lamb or red meat.

"It creates a crust, which keeps the juices in the meat," he said. "Plus, there’s an umami tongue tingle that happens. Nibs are robust and forthright, and their upfront flavors give a burst of roasty flavor to the meat. They’re also a great product to add texture."

Beyond the doors of Manoa Chocolate, chef Andrea Onetti of Onda Pasta has been working with the ingredient to enhance a Gorgonzola-walnut sauce his mother makes. It’s a dish he’s considering for a future pop-up dinner.

"The Gorgonzola has a strong sweet flavor, so the nibs add bitterness to balance the sweetness," he said. "It also has a nutty flavor that ties it to the walnuts. The sauce becomes more flavorful and has more texture."

The end result, he says, is a dish with more depth.

Find cacao nibs at Manoa Chocolate (5-ounce bag for $7) and Madre Chocolate (4-ounce bag, $7.99), and health-food stores such as Down to Earth (8- and 16-ounce bags, $15.59 and $29.39, respectively) and Whole Foods Market (3.5-ounce local nibs, $8.99; 4-ounce nonlocal, $7.99, 8-ounce nonlocal, $11.99).

On the net:

» Manoa Chocolate Hawaii: 315 Uluniu St. Suite 203 in Kailua, 262-6789, manoachocolate.com

» Onda Pasta: ondapasta.com

 Lamb Chops with Roasted Cacao Nib Dry Rub

Courtesy Andrew Wary

4 tablespoons roasted cacao nibs, divided

1 teaspoon whole black and white peppercorns

2 (10-ounce) lamb chops

1 large bunch broccolini

3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

2 pinches sea salt

 In coffee grinder, add 2 tablespoon nibs with peppercorns and grind until fine. Coat lamb chops completely with mixture and shake off excess.

On medium-high, heat pan and add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cook lamb chop on all sides until golden brown. (If chop is especially large, finish in oven at 350 degrees.) Repeat with other chop. Let chops rest about a minute.

Meanwhile, over high heat, add remaining olive oil to another pan. Saute broccolini about 1 minute, moving constantly to avoid burning. (If using broccoli or large broccolini, blanch first.) Add remaining nibs just before removing from heat.

Slice chops between two bones. Sprinkle with sea salt. Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 440 calories, 28 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 550 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 36 g protein 

Vinaigrette Salad with Strawberries and Nibs

Courtesy Tamara Armstrong 

Several fresh strawberries 

4-5 cups salad greens of your choice (arugula, spinach, red and green Romaine lettuce, etc.) 

3-4 tablespoons grated or shave aged Parmesan cheese 

5 tablespoons Aunt Sue’s Salad Dressing (see below)

Drizzle balsamic vinegar-fig glaze 

Roasted cacao nibs

>> Aunt Sue’s Salad Dressing:

1/3 cup vinegar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

To make dressing, combine ingredients in bowl. Transfer to container with cover; set aside.

Cut strawberries into thin slices. In bowl, mix salad greens, strawberry slices and Parmesan cheese. Shake dressing vigorously and incorporate thoroughly into salad. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar-fig glaze and garnish with roasted cacao nibs. Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including drizzle of balsamic vinegar or cacao nibs): 300 calories,26 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 550 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 6 g protein 

Cacao Nib Chicken Salad

Courtesy Liz Bartemes

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup cacao nibs

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

Chop chicken into bite-size pieces. Place in medium mixing bowl. Add yogurt, mayonnaise, cranberries, raisins, nibs, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. 

Enjoy as is, over greens or in a wrap. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 370 calories, 18 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 170 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 20 g sugar, 23 g protein 

Gorgonzola, Walnut and Cacao Nibs Pasta

Courtesy chef Andrea Onetti

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup milk 

1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese

1 teaspoon ground cacao nibs

Black pepper, to taste

1/2 pound fresh pasta

1/4 cup toasted walnuts

1 1/2 tablespoons pasta water

1 teaspoon unground cacao nibs

Chopped parsley, for garnish

On low heat in thick-bottomed pan large enough to hold pasta and sauce, melt butter. Add milk, Parmigiano and crumble in Gorgonzola. Whisk until it all melts together. Mix in ground cacao nibs and pepper to taste. Set aside. 

Bring pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. 

Meanwhile, toast walnuts, either in pan or 350-degree oven for 7 minutes.

Drain pasta and reserve 1-1/2 tablespoons of the water. Add pasta and water to saucepan and return to high heat. Toss pasta with half of walnuts and un-ground nibs until noodles are evenly coated. 

Plate pasta and sprinkle with remaining walnuts and nibs, and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 2 to 3.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 2 servings): 660 calories, 32 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 135 mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 71 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 25 g protein

Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.