If last year was the one in which foodies aspired to eat food so achingly hip (that is, with the lowest possible carbon footprint) that it had come direct "from field to fork" or "from plough to plate", 2014 looks set to be one in which we turn our attention to artisan chocolate, and its equally alliterative catchphrase of "from bean to bar".

And those among us who are about to embark on the annual January diet might do well to reconsider the assumption that chocolate should be relegated to the banned foods list.

New age chocolate is so full of right-on credentials you wouldn't think there was room in there for anything else. Basically, it means all the processing of carefully selected beans (bar the growing, harvesting, fermenting and drying, which is done in the country of origin) is managed in-house. An artisan chocolatier will roast them (or, more often, leave them raw), then crack, winnow, grind, refine, temper, flavour, rest, set, fill and wrap or decorate their own organic, single-estate, fairtrade, "wild-crafted" cocoa beans purchased direct from the farm in order to cut out the middle-man.

It's incredible to think that chocolate, which originates in far-off climes from the Ivory Coast to Peru, could actually be regarded as a local product in Scotland; yet a small but growing band of informed enthusiasts is bringing it as close to that as it's possible to get.

At iQ chocolate in Stirling, Kate Hamilton and Jane Shandley are raising the bar in terms of getting us to think of chocolate less as confectionery, more as superfood health bar. Their product, made with rare organic pure Criollo beans from Peru, has no fewer than 30 European Food Safety Authority-approved health claims, among them that it is packed with anti-oxidant enzymes, low in calories (197 a bar), and is a natural mood-enhancer: the organic coconut blossom nectar with which it's sweetened is especially high in potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron and a natural source of the vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C. Its slow absorption into the bloodstream makes the chocolate low GI. It's naturally gluten- and dairy-free and, as they don't use lecithin, they can also claim it's soya-free.

The pair, one a former business coach and the other a food industry expert, were the first in Scotland to make chocolate from the bean, and are determined to stay one step ahead of the game. In their quest to produce the ultimate in healthy chocolate they got together with Robert Gordon University and the Rowett Institute in Aberdeen to help them hone the best way to retain as much as possible of the nutrients contained in their beans during processing. They learned that lightly fermenting them at low temperature over 72 hours, gently air-drying them, and slow-grinding them for three days before refining at below 42c (the traditional temperature is 60c) was the best way to achieve their goal. They don't roast or bake; their beans are fashionably "raw" as low temperatures and minimum intervention help retain the original flavour and health properties.

They are continuing their research and development, and though their lips are sealed I'm guessing 2014 might herald a new health product with indigenous, locally sourced ingredients.

Alasdair Gower of the artisan Chocolate Tree in Edinburgh and Haddington, who also uses unroasted beans, recently returned from a trip to Peru where he saw for himself why sourcing from organic farms on small plantations was the best way to grow cacao plants: not least because pesticide-free farming allows the dreaded midge to find a purpose in life by thriving and fertilising the cacao flowers.

He also points out that West Africa still produces 70% of the world's cocoa, but is rife with child slave labour - the reason more chocolate producers are looking into direct sourcing. Going straight to small-scale growers helps ensure the product is of the highest quality and produced in a clean, sustainable manner.

But he also reckons farmers usually do a very poor quality fermentation, then dry beans on a tarpaulin placed on a concrete floor on the farm.

"This means terrible flavours from absorbing the surrounding aromas. It is also very unhygienic, with hens, dogs, cats and other farm animals wandering as they like about the farm," he says.

These beans will be sold at low cost to the mainstream market, often ending up in big name chocolate bars. "The company will roast out any bacteria and mask over the poor flavours with other ingredients. If consumers saw the hygiene standards on these farms they may be shocked; it's a long way from the glossy wrappers."

Chocolate has become an unhealthy confection of cheap refined sugar and processed fats. It's a treacherous treat that only makes us feel depressed for breaking our diet. Artisan Scottish chocolate, on the other hand, goes back to a time when it was regarded as an upmarket, stimulating, healthy food.

I know which one I'd rather have.