Energy in the raw

Updated: February 29, 2012 - 3:01 PM

Pashen bars tap into the interest in raw food.

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The Pashen bar comes in two flavors.

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Need a snack? If you're looking for a raw, organic, sprouted energy pick-me-up, the Pashen Bar is just the ticket. The handmade bars, from a recipe by Lisa Wilson and prepared by her siblings Wendy and Pol Sorquist in north Minneapolis, offer a take on the chewy snacks that are popping up everywhere.

The Pashen bar, which comes in two versions -- original and cacao (with more products in development) -- combines ingredients that are sprouted and dehydrated: buckwheat, pumpkin seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds. Added to that are cranberries, goji berries and sesame seeds, with cacao butter, agave nectar, honey and more. Both are gluten-free.

The bars, on sale since last spring in some food co-ops and organic cafes, tap into the interest in raw foods, in which items never go beyond 115 degrees in their preparation. They appeal beyond the niche market, though, says Wendy Sorquist, Pashen's CEO. "It's definitely for the smart shoppers who are used to reading labels."

Samples are often available on weekends at spots where the bars are sold.

LEE SVITAK DEAN

$4.99 for 2.1-oz. bar; available at East Side Food Co-op, Seward Co-op and Linden Hills Co-op, as well as Golden Fig and more. See www.mypashen.com for complete list. Follow them on Twitter @mypashen.