SINCE 2004
22 YEARS 2DiE4 LIVE FOODS
ORIGINAL PACK · LIMITED EDITION
2004. A plastic bag full of nuts. My husband at the time walked into Planet Organic in London, stood in front of the manager and said: "Look at this, I made these. Have a try."
We had started with his best friend over in Australia. That is where the first idea took shape, an old Mediterranean method we had remembered. Back in Europe I started looking for the right farmers, experimenting with the soaking, refining the recipe. My husband opened the first doors. A simple red pouch, handmade. That is how it all began.
Back then, the word "activated nut" did not exist. We coined it.
A 3000-year-old method, rediscovered
OUR ROOTS
In the Mediterranean, people soaked their nuts in the sea 3000 years ago and dried them on nets along the shore. They did not know the biochemistry behind it, but they knew this much: salt water does something to a nut that makes it easier to digest and longer to keep.
We picked up that method and refined it over the years. Today we know what happens: soaking in salt water reduces phytic acid, neutralises enzyme inhibitors, and the seed enters the first step of germination. The nut becomes "activated". We stop the process before actual sprouting and dry the nut gently. That single point is what separates an activated nut from a sprouted nut.
What happens during activation: in short
HOW IT IS DONE
Day 1
Soaking
Bavarian spring water. Hand-harvested sea salt from Brittany and Croatia.
Day 2
Activation
The nut prepares for germination. Phytic acid drops. Umami develops.
Day 3-5
Gentle drying
In our own ovens. Up to 2.5 days. More air than heat, so the proteins stay intact.
We built those ovens ourselves and are now on version four. Industrial drying plants run above 100 °C. Ours stay low. The result: a fully activated seed that could still theoretically sprout. Proof that the valuable nutrients are still intact.
Why 22 years is not a marketing slogan
SLOW FOOD, FOR REAL
We still work to the same principles we set in 2004. But 22 years also means 12 or 13 years of direct relationships with small farmers in Spain, Portugal, Moldova and South Africa. I travel out to them myself. I sit with the families. I walk the fields. I look people in the eyes. It might sound romantic, but it is the only thing that actually works.
One of my favourite farmers is a Swiss-French man in Portugal who has been growing biodynamically since the late seventies. When he tests new varieties of nuts, he puts them on a table and lets the children in. The children do not have to explain anything. They simply go straight for the best variety, every time. "That is the tree I plant more of," he says.
We are nerds. Our farmers are nerds. It really is that simple. No quarterly thinking. No scaling at the cost of quality.
Spring water, two sea salts, and a few obsessive details
THE INGREDIENTS
On our farm in Bavaria we have our own well. That was a deliberate choice, because the human body is almost 99 % water by molecule count, and the quality of the water we soak a nut in shapes the final product. Municipal tap water is not an option for us.
For the salt we use two varieties: hand-harvested sea salt from Brittany (France) and a second from Croatia. Both unprocessed. Both a bit clumpy, the way real natural salt should be. The taste impact on the activated nut is clearly different from industrial table salt.
Filip puts it like this on the podcast: "If the second best high jumper clears 1.20 m, you do not aim for 1.40 m. You aim for 2.30 m." That is our standard for every touchpoint of this manufactory.
Our four most-loved varieties
BESTSELLERS
Two chapters, one story
CONTINUITY
My husband passed away in an accident a few years ago. He was the one who opened the first doors. The one who walked into Planet Organic with a plastic bag. Without him there would be no 2DiE4.
I kept going. Because the farmers we had built relationships with over more than a decade do not just disappear. Because the nuts we pull from the ground are too good to stop. Filip joined in 2020 and is carrying the manufactory forward. Today we write chapter two together.
22 years 2DiE4. Two chapters of a single story. The Original Pack is the bridge between them.
The Original Pack: why now?
LIMITED EDITION
The first red pouch is more than packaging. My husband held it in his hands when he first stood at Planet Organic. Simple, no frills, but with everything inside that defines us.
For a short moment, we are bringing it back. Not because we think it will be the ultimate collector's item. But because a few people might enjoy this throwback moment with us. A small reminder of where it all started.
Slow Food. Handmade in Bavaria. Live Activated. Since 2004.
Limited Edition Original Pack
While stocks last.
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Listen in
The full story on the podcast
Filip and Agni tell the whole story in roughly 50 minutes: from the plastic bag at Planet Organic to the farmers in Portugal to the method that uses Bavarian spring water. More anecdotes, more detail, more background.
Go to the podcast blog →Frequently asked questions
FAQ · 10 ANSWERS ABOUT OUR STORY
What is an activated nut?
An activated nut is a raw nut that has been soaked in salt water and then gently dried. The soaking reduces phytic acid, neutralises enzyme inhibitors, and triggers the first step of germination. We stop the process before sprouting. The result is a seed that could theoretically still sprout, but with nutrients that are far more available.
When was 2DiE4 Live Foods founded?
2DiE4 was founded in 2004 in Australia. Agni's husband at the time started the project with his best friend. The production moved to Bavaria shortly after. For 22 years we have worked to the same principles.
Who coined the term "activated nut"?
We did. When we started in 2004 the term did not exist. We needed a word for what this old method does to a nut: it is not cooked, not roasted, not sprouted. It is brought into an active state in which its nutrients are more available.
What is the difference between an activated and a sprouted nut?
Sprouting means shoots actually grow from the seed. Activation stops just before that. The nut still looks like a nut, but it has already entered the first preparation step of germination. Taste, digestibility, and nutrient availability shift. The appearance does not.
Which method is the activation based on?
A 3000-year-old Mediterranean tradition. People soaked their nuts in seawater and dried them on nets along the shore. They did not know the biochemistry, but they knew salt water makes a nut more digestible. We picked up that method, refined it with modern food science, and made it reproducible.
Why does 2DiE4 use spring water instead of tap water?
Water shapes the final product. We have our own well on the farm in Bavaria, at the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. Municipal tap water is not an option for us because it contains unpredictable trace substances and may be chlorinated.
Why two different sea salts?
We use hand-harvested sea salt from Brittany (France) and a second variety from Croatia. Both are unprocessed, both a bit clumpy the way real natural salt should be. The flavour impact on the activated nut is clearly different from industrial table salt.
Can people with nut allergies eat activated nuts?
We often hear from people with mild allergies that they tolerate our activated nuts even though they react to regular nuts. Nine out of ten say the itching or scratching is significantly reduced. For severe or life-threatening allergies, please do not test it on yourself. Always check with your doctor first.
What makes the Original Pack special?
It is our original red pouch from 2004. The same packaging Agni's husband held in his hands when he first walked into Planet Organic in London with a plastic bag full of activated nuts. For a short moment we are bringing it back as a Limited Edition.
Where are 2DiE4 nuts produced?
On a farm in Königsdorf, Bavaria, at the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. We use our own spring water, custom-built drying ovens (currently on version four), and we work entirely by hand. The raw nuts come from small farmers in Spain, Portugal, Moldova and South Africa.
Live Activated. Since 2004.
Filip & Agni
