Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Morgenstern-Kenan.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
While I was pregnant with my twins, I knew that I had to be extra careful. My grandmother lost her twins and afterwards died from diabetes.
My pregnancy was therefore at risk of gestational diabetes. I was carrying not one but two babies.
I was aware that with my genetic background, eating refined sugar was not an option. My only problem was my dark chocolate cravings.
It started to become harder and harder to resist the temptations.
The dark chocolate cravings were stronger and stronger.
My mother taught me that when a woman is pregnant she must eat what she has been craving for.
I listened to her and was asking my husband to please try and find me a great raw dark chocolate that would be free of any refined and chemical sugar or sweetener, dairy, GMO… nothing worked.
The taste was not there or it was loaded with bad ingredients. I could not satisfy myself with anything. I am in between paleo, vegan and ketogenic. I hate sweet but love decadent nourishing desserts. And I am so nuts about raw dark chocolate.
I started to think about how my Grandmother from my Mom’s side used to put her almonds inside water for a few hours before we would eat them.
Also, all her pastries were made from Pistachios, Almonds, Hazelnuts, Pine nuts. Those sprouted nuts were what I was craving.
I also started to think about the beautiful sprouted grains and fermented food that my Grandma from my father’s side was making.
It all made sense. I just started to associated raw fermented chocolate and sprouted nuts into delicious gourmet truffles. They kept me away from sugar and junk sweet treats until today. Hnina was created because of those two babies…
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It is far away from smooth. If we did not believe that we are making the healthiest and most delicious raw dark chocolate, snacks and spreads on the planet, we would have given up on it a long time ago. Our margins are so tight, and the process is very labor intensive. Creating beautiful food takes time, patience, love, and passion.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Hnina Inc. story. Tell us more about the business.
At Hnina, we make the most delicious yet healthy pure raw dark chocolate and sprouted nuts & seeds gourmet treats truffles, raw dark chocolate bars, sprouted nuts, and raw cacao spreads, sprouted nuts snacks and sprouted seeds snacks.
The uncompromising HNINA standard of tolerating no shortcuts and sparing no expense is that everything we produce is made with real wholesome organic plant-based ingredients.
We add no engineered ingredients made from a lab.
All our organic ingredients come from the real delicious food that Mother Nature gave us.
We just help Mother’s nature design by combining the organic ingredients while preserving their enzymes and raw nutrients like our Ancestors did, by using fermented delicious food (raw cacao) and sprouted nuts or sprouted seeds. Preserving their legacy is our duty.
This purity gives the possibility to be a plant-based nutrient dense gourmet food.
Nourishing traditions taught us that the best food is unprocessed, alive and naturally delicious.
We also choose sustainability by opting for wind energy made packaging that is all compostable and composed of recyclable Kraft paper.
This is what set us apart. Everyone is cheating somewhere to cut cost and make it more efficient for their production and ROI. We do not. We could not make it healthier or tastier even if we wanted to.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
We are lucky to still be here after three years…
Pricing:
- Hnina Madame tablet (2.5 oz) is $6.99 and is composed of 3 ingredients only
- Hnina Sprouted Seeds Cracker snacks retail for $5.99 for 4 oz and is composed of 5 ingredients
- Hnina RAW CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES ASSORTMENT BOX – 12 ROCK $49.99
- Nuts About Chocolate Spread Hazelnuts + Almonds is $14.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hninagourmet.com
- Phone: 13238762609
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hninagourmet/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HNINAnutsaboutchocolate/
- Twitter: @HNINAGourmet
Image Credit:
Tina Nibbana
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