When it comes to ceremonial cacao, many people think that the best place to find it is in South America or Mexico. But what if I told you that there was a great place in Australia to find ceremonial cacao?
Do you love ceremonial cacao? If you don't know what that is, it's basically a superfood made from the raw cocoa bean. It's been consumed for centuries by indigenous people for its health benefits and delicious flavour. So if you're looking for the best ceremonial cacao in Australia, look no further! This blog post will discuss some of the top brands of ceremonial cacao in Australia and why they're so great. So keep reading to learn more!
Ultimate List of the Best Ceremonial Cacao in Australia
Sacred Taste - Ceremonial Cacao Australia
Who Is Sacred Taste?
Sacred Taste is a producer of premium, organic, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, preservative-free, vegan Drinking Cacao. Founded in Melbourne, Australia, we hand blend Raw Amazonian Cacao with plant-based whole-food ingredients to create a unique, delicious, healthy Drinking Cacao range.
Based on a foundation of wellness and sustainability, we pride ourselves on delivering the most sustainable, delicious and nutritious Drinking Cacao that takes care of the planet and its people, nourishing the lives of everyone it touches and protecting Indigenous Lands from where our cacao comes from.
Our Sacred Journey
In August 2019, we travelled to South America in search of the origins of cacao. It was our mission to go straight to source and discover exactly where cacao comes from, how it is made, and the impact it has on the local people and environment.
After spending weeks travelling through the high and lowlands of Peru, our journey led us into the centre of the Amazon basin and to the birthplace of cacao. After a 15-hour bus ride and a 6-hour canoe ride, we reached the heart of the Amazon jungle, where we met with the oldest Indigenous tribes in South America, the Ashaninka. Here, we learnt about the importance of cacao, the essence of its spirit and the Ashaninka way of life.
Our Ethos
From seed to serve and belly to the bin, we've ensured that our cacao improves the lives of everyone it touches. We support the Ashaninka tribes in cultivating only the finest, heirloom criollo cacao beans that are ethically sourced and sustainably made to bring you the joy, happiness, peace, and harmony of each cup of cacao can provide. Our mission is to preserve the land and protect the culture from where our cacao comes from whilst helping the western world reconnect to the planet and its purpose by remembering what Sacred is.
Our Purpose
Through our efforts, we aim to preserve and protect Indigenous lands in the Amazon Rainforest and seek to bridge the gap between the ancient and modern, the spiritual and the material, the natural and the digital.
We hope you enjoy the delicious benefits of your cup of Sacred, and sip mindfully, knowing that each service is made with love and contributing to the health and wellbeing of the planet.
Soma Cacao Ceremonial Australia
somacacao.com.au
We really, really love cacao.
And we've sourced delicious, sustainable, award-winning varieties that are choc-full of benefits for our body, mind and soul.
Our Australian cacao is made from beans that have won a cacao-phony of awards at home and abroad. However, this cacao takes 'bean to bar' one step further: this is 'tree to bar' cacao - grown and ground in tropical North Queensland.
We've also sourced Mexican ceremonial cacao - honouring the motherland of our beloved beverage. And we don't just fair trade. We direct trade - so no middlemen, no supply chains. We have a personal relationship with our grower, Josue, whose family has harvested these Criolla-bean cacao trees for generations and whom we pay well above the fair trade rate. Unfortunately, like many businesses in Mexico, his has been hard-hit by COVID-19.
Invictus Clinics - Ceremonial Cacao Australia
invictusapothecary.com.au
408 921 867
Our Ceremonial Cacao
Theobroma [Food of the Gods]
- Pure, organic, unrefined and quality controlled, this sustainably sourced heirloom variety Cacao exceeds the highest standards.
- Grown in the rich soils of Tarapoto, Northern Peru, this heart-opening medicinal Amazonian chocolate boasts extraordinary health benefits.
- Wonderfully indulgent, cacao provides a beautiful inclusion to anyone's daily routine.
- Cacao contains Theobromine; think 'Caffeine, without the crash'. Theobromine acts on smooth muscle tissue, promoting relaxation, vasodilation and a higher response rate as opposed to caffeine, which stimulates from the CNS and, with repetitive use, binds to adenosine receptors in the brain, affecting sleep.
- Cacao is naturally rich in the major tissue salts and minerals used in our tissues' structure and proper function.
- Cacao has the highest magnesium content of any whole food is loaded with major & trace minerals and essential amino acids, supporting hard-working muscles and reducing stress.
- This cacao has not been roasted, resulting in a significantly higher product in nutrition.
- Being un-roasted, our cacao contains nootropics and neurotransmitters such as anandamide (Bliss), serotonin (stress defence), dopamine (Kidney Jing and motivation) and phenylethylamine (focus)
- Cacao is also high in fibre. So along with its EAA's, nootropics & neurotransmitters, it works to improve cellular responses and provide an overall better 'efficiency' throughout the digestive process, particularly when coupled with a regenerative diet [see invictusclinics.com.au for detail]
- Raw cacao, gram for gram, contains 40x the antioxidants of that found in blueberries. Antioxidants trap free radicals (corrupt oxidised cells) & reduce the risk of cells in the body undergoing oxidation.
- The compounds in cacao reduce blood pressure and clear blood vessel walls of fatty deposits (plaques). This reduces the load on the heart muscle and assists in whole-body oxygenation.
- Cacao promotes thermogenesis, a process that encourages the body to burn fats rather than store them
- Cacao is also used as a mild decongestant and expectorant, containing the terpene Ocimene.
- Cacao holds a high standard in the field of anxiety management due to its potent levels of Myrcene, L-Theanine, Linalool, Phenylethylamine & Anandamide
Cacao is revered for the heart-opening feminine medicine that she is, and with the above attributes, it is easy to see why
Enjoy this beautiful medicine of the Amazon at any time of the day.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ceremonial Cacao
Can you make ceremonial cacao from powder? Not really. You can make a delicious chocolate drink, but to preserve the integrity and wholeness of the experience, you should use cacao paste (which is a whole food that contains cacao butter before it's separated from the powder).
Traditionally, ceremonial cacao is made by hand with a wooden device called molinillo hot chocolate frother. The experienced it made this way – it's a beautiful, meditative process.
For convenience, the use of this blender for the daily cup of ceremonial cacao.
Don't have a blender or prefer to make your cacao the slow way? Mix cacao with water in a small pot, and keep stirring/whisking on low heat, making sure it never boils (to not burn the cacao). Note – the cacao tends to settle on the bottom, so whisk it well. Turn off the stove when all cacao chunks are melted, and the consistency is creamy.
You can use it daily as a substitute for coffee by making a hot chocolate drink using about 20-25gms per day of cacao, depending on your needs. It can be made with water or milk, and you can add chilli powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, or whatever you desire to spice it up.
Ceremonial cacao is made from whole bean, organic cacao. These beans undergo a fermentation process necessary to cultivate their flavour profile and activate certain natural compounds. The beans are then roasted at low temperatures, cracked, and stone-ground by traditional means. Ceremonial cacao is NEVER tempered.
Cacao is contraindicated with anti-depressants, especially MAOIs and some SSRIs. This means that it's a bad idea to take Ceremonial Cacao if you're using anti-depressants. At best, you're going to get a stinking headache.
Cell Squared Ceremonial Cacao Australia
Unlock The Ancient
Ceremonial cacao with a difference - And now ACO Organic Certified!!!
High quality, South American Criollo Cacao, consciously grown by local farmers in diversified 'food forests' on the mountains of West Bali. Spiritual blessings are honoured at each stage of planting, growing, harvesting and fermenting.
Our Ceremonial Cacao's strength and purification abilities are enhanced by harnessing Bali's dynamic masculine and feminine ley line energies.
A powerful entheogenic tool used in ceremonies for thousands of years to expand consciousness, deepen meditative experiences and connect to the energetic space of the heart.
See our Benefits, Uses and Origin tabs above for more information.
*Bag contents vary between chunks of cacao (pictured) and smaller flakes of cacao
100% Natural, ACO Organic, GMO-Free, Lactose-Free, Gluten-Free, Keto, Paleo, Vegan
Cacao with a difference
Cell Squared's Ceremonial Cacao is 'cacao with a difference' as it is sourced from Bali, Indonesia, instead of traditionally from South America, where this heirloom cacao initially originated.
Many years ago, the prized South American Criollo Cacao trees were brought from South America to Java, Indonesia and soon after, they were adopted in Bali. The tree spread and evolved into unique, high-quality cacao, called 'light breaking Java's' because they still have the famed Criollo low pigmentation when cut open. Bali proved to be a perfect growing climate for the heirloom cacao.
Health Nut Ceremonial Cacao Australia
02 93315370
Ceremonial Cacao from Sacred Earth Medicine is no ordinary cacao! Unlike the run of the mill "ceremonial grade" cacao products out there, this is the real deal. It is truly the highest grade, highest vibration, most energy-intense cacao on the planet.
It is 100% pure, whole organic bean, heirloom criollo native cacao (cacao chuncho) from Peru. It is simply the whole bean ground, nothing added, nothing taken away.
Don't take our word for it. Try it for yourself and experience the difference!
As an ancient plant medicine and wise teacher, Ceremonial Cacao can deepen awareness of your connection to the earth and the cosmos when used in ceremony, meditation and inner work. For inspiration, try partnering with any creative endeavours. Enjoy your journey, wherever it may take you!
The Rare, Highly Prized Cacao Bean
The criollo bean was highly revered in ancient times. It was used as currency and valued more highly than gold. Criollo cacao was traditionally used by the priests, shamans and spiritual elite in the ancient Mayan, Aztec & Olmec cultures as a spiritual partner. We are told that the shamans of these ancient cultures infused their prized cacao beans with spirit to give them a dimension not found in other cacao varieties. Ceremonial cacao is an ancient plant medicine, a heart opener, a wisdom keeper, a consciousness facilitator, teacher and creative partner. In modern terms, it is classed as an entheogen.
Beans with Life Force!
Once in your hands, you will cherish why our pure Peruvian Ceremonial Cacao bean paste is specifically chosen for its potency and high vibration. It is 100% whole bean Criollo Nativo, biodynamically grown from original cacao trees. This small, humble but proud family-run operation keeps production sustainable to ensure we have superior quality control with techniques fine-tuned by generations in the family. The cacao beans are grown in a powerful microclimate nestled between the Andes and the Amazon, infusing the beans with an emotional life force. Grown on mature trees, farmed without chemicals, ethically sourced and fair trade, this cacao maintains all its medicinal and spiritual properties. And once you taste it, you'll know why it's won so many awards.
Don't Take Our Word for it, Try Ceremonial Cacao for Yourself!
Are you ready to hold a rich, warm, velvety cup of this divine Ceremonial Cacao elixir in your hands? Let the sweet aroma steam it is way into your sensory organs. Then, as you drink, it melts into your heart, transporting you into another realm of sweet benevolence.
Cacao Medium Ceremonial Cacao Australia
Welcome, Chocolate Lover!
Thank YOU for landing here! I'm guessing you are here because you LOVE CHOCOLATE, and you LOVE NATURE, and you really want to source ethical cacao for your body and for the planet!!!
Did you know that 70% of cacao harvested today for most commercial chocolate still involves child labour and human trafficking? So Mamma Cacao asks us not to look away but take heart-lead action and LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND.
We have a non-negotiable commitment to ensure that no child is harmed in our Cacao creations' growing, harvesting, sourcing, and making. We source Organic and Fairtrade Peruvian Criollo Ceremonial Grade Cacao via a collective with the Awajun and Ashaninka people in the Peruvian Valley. In addition, we source Direct Trade Organic Heirloom Ceremonial Cacao from Ruk'u'x' Ulew, an Indigenous Mayan Women's Collective on the shores of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.
When you welcome our SLAVE FREE Ceremonial Cacao into your heart and home, you are contributing the pathways that support the empowerment of women and the liberation of children.
It is with deep gratitude for Mother Earth, for the Traditional Custodians and the Original Cacao keepers that we share Mamma Cacao with you.
Peruvian Cacao
Our Peruvian cacao is a native Criollo strain sourced from the Awajun people and some from the Ashaninka people across the Peruvian valley. Once the beans are picked from the tree, they are fermented and dried and then transported to a collection centre to check them to make sure they comply with the health parameters. The beans are then processed in Pisco, Peru, roasted and husks removed and transformed into rich and exquisite cacao liquor. My supplier then imports the cacao to Australia, and it is sent across the country to the most southern tip of Western Australia. Finally, the cacao liquor arrives at my hometown in Torbay, a stunning little place where the forest meets the sea.
Along with other mammas, I hand chop the cacao and infuse the West Australian flower essences into it. Deep conversations flow during this process as we listen to each other's stories, and no doubt, this energy of sisterhood and support finds its way into Mamma Cacao. The cacao is then further ground into smaller particles to create a range of delicious medicinal drinking elixirs that support alignment to our hearts purpose and reconnection to the earth.
The energy of this cacao is earthy, grounding, muddy and bitter. She opens our hearts and draws our energy downwards, descending into the Heart of Mother Earth. She anchors our Spirits into our bodies and to the earth, inviting us to feel at home in our skin and the land upon which we live.
This cacao is a helpful guardian for self-acceptance, healing adrenal fatigue and exhaustion, alchemising collective grief and feminine wounds, breaking the chains of the past, doing shadow work, meeting and clearing subconscious fear, and planting new seeds. An ally for reconnecting to and bringing back our forgotten and ancient wisdom to life. Use in your daily self-care practice and personal ceremony.
$1 from the sale of every Peruvian Cacao Elixir goes to the Borderless Friendship Foundation to support the Hill Tribe Children of Northern Thailand, at risk of sex slavery and trafficking.
Anchoring The Light Ceremonial Cacao Australia
What Makes Chocolate Sacred?
When it comes to using Cacao for ceremonies and rituals, the type of cacao you use is of utmost importance. There are many different forms of cacao out there, but for ceremonies, there are a few special things to look out for.
Firstly, the cacao should come as paste - sometimes called Cacao liquor. This unrefined paste is made simply by grinding the Cacao Beans and stopping before the butter (white fat) and powder (brown powder) separate.
Secondly - the best Ceremonial Cacao should be from the heirloom Criollo bean - a native species of cacao.
Thirdly - and perhaps most importantly - it should be Organically and Sustainably Grown where local Indigenous growers and communities are supported, ethically and generously.
Here's why Sacred Chocolate Ceremonial Cacao is called 'Paititi Chuncho'.
Paititi is the Awakened City of Gold spoken about in Incan mythology- although those of us in the know - know it is definitely not a myth.. at the very least, it resides right here in your heart.
'Chuncho' is the name given in the high Andean jungle to native, wildcrafted cacao.
Paititi Chuncho arrives at us from what I feel is my Motherland and home to a particular frequency of cacao - in the high jungles of Peru.
I have been privileged to work with some of the finest cacao on the planet in Ceremony, and for me, THIS cacao is by far the BEST. Its potency, high vibrational frequency, Taste, texture and Clarity of Spirit is unsurpassed. It's my honour and pleasure to be able to share this gift from the Gods with you.
Seleno Health Ceremonial Cacao Austalia
0405 430 522
Ceremonial Rescue Cacao
This sacred plant has gained tremendous attention in the health and wellness industry, with Cacao Ceremonies becoming a weekly ritual in many yoga studios and retreats across the world. We want to share some Cacao wisdom with you.
The cacao is full of beans and pure paste.
Our Cacao paste (1kg block & drops) comes from naturally fermented, sun-dried, hand-peeled Cacao beans. These 100% pure, organic beans are then milled and beautifully blended in the cacao's own full-fat to produce an incredibly creamy 100% pure block. As a result, our cacao is delivered to you in its purest form with nothing added and nothing removed.
Non-Ceremonial cacao - regular Cacao powder found in supermarkets has been processed to remove the cacao's natural fat. Additives, fillers or sweeteners are often added to compensate for the lost fat content.
The paste is made from premium, hand-picked, single-origin Criollo Cacao beans.
The components of cacao differ dramatically depending on the variety. Ceremonial cacao is made from the most premium and rare Cacao variety known as Criollo. This variation is deemed to have the highest medicinal properties of any Cacao on Earth and is famous for its luxurious, fragrant aroma and flavour. This plant, however, is very delicate and low yielding, requiring careful attention from our farmers and support from the jungle canopy to thrive. These factors associated with the Criollo variety do not lend themselves well to mass production and, therefore, is not used for large-scale distribution. Instead, our cacao is produced on a small scale. This ensures our farmers not only seek permission from each tree before individually hand-picking the pods but allows each bean to be inspected for imperfections and graded to select only the finest, guaranteeing the authenticity and purity of our Ceremonial Cacao.
The paste is 100% organic and shade-grown under a natural agroforestry canopy.
Cacao pods are porous, meaning they absorb the energy and aromas of surrounding plants. Neighbouring fruit trees, such as papaya or bananas, infuse their flavours into the cacao, enhancing the profile and sensory experience when used in Ceremony. This agroforestry environment is where true Ceremonial Cacao comes from. Alongside the flavours of the jungle that surround our Cacao plants, the paste also contains the vibrations and energy of its environment, further enhancing the spiritual connection between the Amazonian spirit and the user. All our cacao is strict 'shade-grown' in this natural way to provide enhanced flavour, cleaner energetics and superior therapeutic benefit. It also promotes biodiversity and protects the jungle canopy.
Kakao - Ceremonial Cacao Australia
KAKAO Australia, New Zealand & Asia
KAKAO is Ceremonial-grade Cacao directly sourced from small, wild farms in Peru. To be utilised intentionally in 'ceremony' or your own sacred ritual for heart-opening connection and creativity.
KAKAO is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to practising reciprocity with the land and people behind this plant medicine.
What are the benefits of drinking KAKAO?
When approached with intention, KAKAO can assist you in coming out of the head and into the heart. It helps your body and mind become more receptive and open to all forms of meditation, connection and creativity.
KAKAO is a beautiful connector and a great counterpart with meditation and dancing and singing, writing, setting your daily intentions, or even connecting with a friend or romantic partner.
You can drink KAKAO daily as a ritual in your own personal 'ceremony' or whenever the Spirit of Cacao calls you. The spirit of cacao is a feminine presence that can powerfully assist with healing and opening the heart, emotional release, inner child work, and activating your authentic self.
Most people find KAKAO to be grounding and clarifying.
Whole cacao beans contain many compounds that are known for increasing bliss, the feeling of love, and sensuality.
- Calm nervous system
- Creativity
- Blood Circulation & Digestion
- Assist meditation & Inner-work
- Clear any blocked/stuck emotions
- Connection to self, others, nature and Spirit
- Aphrodisiac
- Increased energy without the nervous buzz one gets from caffeine!
- Prolonged focus
How is KAKAO unique from other sources of cacao/chocolate?
- The Strain of Cacao Used. KAKAO uses the native variety of Cacao in Peru, called Chuncho. The first cocoa tree was domesticated by Mayans over 3000 years ago. The chocolate derived from this variety is of the highest quality, classified as one of the finest flavoured chocolates. However, many cacao farmers across the globe grow trees that produce lower quality chocolate because they are more resilient to disease, produce higher yields, thus are more likely to guarantee a good harvest. Therefore, KAKAO is committed to using native, organic cacao only, and furthermore, we do not use mechanical/mainstream processing techniques.
- Our Processing methods. The WHOLE bean is used for our drinking KAKAO, meaning higher nutritional value, a higher vibration, and more noticeable effects upon drinking. KAKAO is not considered 'raw cacao powder' but is much more potent, sustainable, healthy & powerful because of all of the compounds, including the cocoa butter.
- Our Intention. KAKAO is intentionally sourced, processed and blessed with high frequencies of love, service, compassion, abundance & purpose.
KAKAO's Sourcing in Peru
Throughout our website, we share in detail the direct sourcing of native cacao from wild farms in Peru and the relationship we hold with those on the ground in Peru. We also share our story and the 'why' behind creating this organisation in the first place.
Through our travels and research, we were ultimately guided to partner with the native strain of cacao from Peru, called Cacao Chuncho. Having been exposed to and vastly educated on Cacao Chuncho over the years, we are extremely passionate about its history, its preservation, and the farmers and communities connected to it.
In 2017, the Spirit of Cacao instructed Michael and I to begin sourcing directly from these wind farms and create our own blend and production process that protects the vibration of the medicine itself.
To our knowledge, there is currently no record of using cacao ceremonially in Peru. However, we have heard of Indigenous peoples in Peru growing cacao, offering it as a part of Dieta combined with other Master Plant Teachers, or using it as medicine, especially during pregnancy.
With that said, we wholeheartedly stand by Cacao Chuncho's ceremonial uses, and we feel honoured and privileged to share this special Peruvian cacao as a heart-opener, an assistant in emotional healing, an ally in creativity, and a connector to the Natural World, the Higher Self, and Source.
In addition to KAKAO's mission to make ethically-sourced ceremonial-grade cacao accessible for heart-healing across the globe, as a 501c3 Non-Profit Organisation, we have a responsibility to give back to the communities and people involved in growing, harvesting and making our product. While paying beyond fairtrade prices has been non-negotiable since Day 1, KAKAO stands to take it further. Our aim is to be profitable no later than early 2021 and partner with the team on the ground in actualising our first give-back project.
Australian Ceremonial Cacao
(0)406621700
Australian Ceremonial Cacao
Ceremonial Grade Cacao is a grade above the rest. Every other chocolate product that you will buy (and that includes raw organic powder) has had the cacao butter and fibres separated, and many elements stripped from the product. Ceremonial Grade Cacao has had minimum tampering of the integrity of the bean. The bean is lightly roasted de-shelled and ground on a stone grinder. Then once it arrives in Australia from Peru, I have it melted at a low temperature and moulded into hearts. The moulding process does not in any way alter the integrity and magic of the cacao.
Cacao Intention.
The roots of the Goddess Cacao reach deep into the rich Amazonian Earth. She wanted to spread her love far and wide.
Embraced on our soil, she is welcomed by the Ancestors of this Sacred land, whom I work with very closely.
We pray and channel divine energy into every batch of cacao with the help of some beautiful crystals and Light Language!
Personal care is taken for every bag for your most beneficial enjoyment.
Fun Fact:
Cacao beans actually are "nuts". They are the most commonly eaten nut product in the world that nobody actually eats as a 'nut'!
The Cacao nut or bean has the highest magnesium level in any food product! It is filled with so many other goodies such as Theobromine which regulates blood pressure and improves blood flow, reducing plaque building on arterial walls and releasing the 'happy' chemicals in the brain. Flavonoids are an antioxidant that fights free radicals within the body, reducing the effects of aging and environmental damage. Both these antioxidants improve mental and physical health, relax tense muscles, and reduce inflammation in the body!
(possibly why we women reach for chocolate during PMS!) It contains Iron, Phosphorous (bone strength), Zinc (immune system and recovery), Calcium, Copper (works with iron to absorb into the body/ produce red blood cells), Manganese (bone strength), Potassium (reduce menstrual cramps, healthy skin), healthy fats, Vitamins E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B9, Dietary fibres and the list goes on.
No wonder this is called Plant Medicine to the Mayans, right!
Acknowledgement
Australian Ceremonial Cacao acknowledges and pays respect to the First Nations people of Jagger Nation and the Traditional Owners of Meeinjin Brisbane, on which we are truly lucky to be a guest to live and work on. The Ancestors of this land. We acknowledge all elders past, present and emerging.
Thanking and acknowledging the Traditional Owners and farmers of the land of Peru where the cacao grows freely on their properties. Acknowledging the MesoAmerican Ancestors for introducing the continually evolving practice of Cacao Ceremony to this day.
And we thank cacao for coming to the rest of the world to help make the change we all wish to see, of all people coming together, of sewing humanity back together.
To live from the heart.
Spirit of Cacao - Ceremonial Cacao Australia
You are bringing the mind, body and spirit healing abilities of Reiki and Ceremonial Grade Cacao to your sacred space.
All offerings are imbued with Reiki to amplify its effects and accelerate your development to align with your soul's mission.
Each block is lovingly infused with Reiki energy through a deep ceremony. Ceremonial cacao is an ancient revered plant medicine that opens the heart space and connects us to the divine.
We are passionate about natural healing, wellness and self-mastery.
We are Master Reiki Practitioners who felt the call to share the sacred Spirit Of Cacao and its deep healing abilities with Australia. The world, as we shift into the Age of Aquarius! Made in Peru specifically for medicine men and women to use in ceremony, from single-origin Criollo, we imbue each batch of cacao with Reiki to amplify its effects. This means you get the benefits of the cacao and the physical, spiritual, and emotional healing of Reiki.
Our Peruvian cacao is vegan, organic and GMO-free with a divine energetic frequency that is unique.
The Cacao Club - Ceremonial Cacao Australia
What is Ceremonial Cacao?
The difference between 'regular' cacao and ceremonial cacao is a topic we feel very passionate about here at The Cacao Club.
The Original Super Food
Over the last decade, cacao, predominately in the form of 'raw cacao powder,' has become a staple for health food junkies worldwide. With an impressively long list of health benefits, it's not hard to see why.
Higher in antioxidants than any other widely consumed food, cacao is rich in essential vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, iron and calcium.
Cacao in its whole, unprocessed form contains flavonoid compounds epicatechin and catechin, both of which have been shown to have beneficial effects on vascular function and increased cognitive performance.
Whilst most people are quite familiar with the cocoa powder you might see at the supermarket or even the organic, 'raw' cacao powder that graces the shelves of Wholefoods, the profound healing potential of cacao in its purest and most potent form is not so widely known.
It's important to note that there is nothing wrong with Cacao powder per se. However, intense heat and industrial processing mean that it has been separated from its fat element, with many of its active compounds destroyed. This completely changes how this plant is received and absorbed by the body, and it means we are missing out on some of the juiciest and most exciting properties of this medicine.
On the other hand, Ceremonial cacao is full and whole, having been only lightly sun-dried before being stone-ground into a paste. Nothing added, nothing removed.
We work with only the highest quality Cacao beans grown by the Mayan Qʼeqchiʼ tribe in Guatemala. It is our mission to bring this sacred medicine directly from the jungle to you so that you can experience cacao the way it has been experienced for over 2 thousand years!
So how does it work?
Before the Spanish invasion of Central America, Cacao was more than the candy we know it to be today, and cacao was sacred. As one of the most ancient and revered plant medicines throughout Meso America, Cacao has been used medicinally and ceremonially by shamans and healers for thousands of years, worshipped for its heart-opening & bliss-inducing properties.
The active ingredients in Ceremonial Grade Cacao help to relax the nervous system as well as the busy 'thinking mind', enabling the drinker to access the deeper layers of consciousness that often go unnoticed or neglected.
Within this space and silence comes the clarity we need to help us understand who we are, where we are going, and opportunities.
Meditation and 'inner-work' can be hard, and cacao acts as a gentle and nurturing guide, encouraging self-exploration and self-discovery. She possesses a simple yet potent ability to take you on your psyche, heart, & soul.
When we drink cacao, anything is possible, sometimes we share, sometimes we sit in silence, sometimes we laugh, cry, dance, shake or even scream, but always we open our hearts to infinite love and possibility.
Whether you're looking to release emotional blockages, find some creative inspiration or simply want to feel GOOD, a ceremonial Cacao is a powerful tool to re-align and connect to your heart.
So what makes Cacao Ceremonial Grade?
Because there are currently no regulations or standardisations regarding what makes Cacao' Ceremonial,' we highly recommend doing your research and making your judgment based on the company's integrity.
Most people are not aware that there is a very real, very dark side of the Cacao/Cocoa Industry.
Cacao grows wildly and abundantly in its homeland. However, it was introduced to West Africa in 1879, accounting for more than 80% of the Worlds Cacao production. Sadly, a vast majority of the commercial chocolate brands on the shelves today are using Cacao beans that have not only been highly processed but have been grown and harvested by horrendously underpaid workers - often children, living and working in extreme poverty. These workers are often paid as little as $2 a day and work from 6 in the morning into the evening.
We consider cacao a herbal medicine, which means ensuring that we use the same selection criteria when sourcing our cacao as we do all of our medicinal herbs.
Our non-negotiables are:
- Sustainability - The earth and natural habitat where the plant is grown is treated lovingly and respectfully.
- Organic - No pesticides, herbicides or any other chemicals have come into contact with the plant.
- Fairtrade - The farmers who grow and harvest the plants are fairly paid at a price they deserve, one which allows them to sustain themselves, their families and their communities.
- Minimally processed - Low fermentation and low temperatures are applied without roasting so that the plant maintains its natural purity and quality.
When it comes to Ceremonial Cacao, Source and Quality are key, as are Integrity and Respect.
Prepare your cacao in 3 easy steps.
Break
If you are new to cacao, opt for one-quarter of your disc or for a full ceremonial dose. Go for one half.
Blend
Add your cacao to your blender along with 1 cup of hot water or plant milk. Blend on high for 30 seconds.
Pour
Fill your favourite mug and take your time to drink slowly and with presence, savouring every last sip!
