FAQ

https://www.flykakao.com/blogs/news/what-makes-cacao-ceremonial-grade

Use a blender that is safe for hot liquids, and optional: include a spoonful of coconut oil.

Our favorite blender is a Vitamix, however there are many other blenders that are safe for hot liquids, such as certain versions of BlendTec and the Ninja.

If you do not have a mixer, follow these instructions:

1. Heat a bit of coconut oil on low heat (stove)

2. Add your serving of kakao and stir well until melted (low heat to avoid burning)

3. Add your water and use a WHISK until frothy and desired temp.

KAKAO is not processed or tempered, meaning if it is exposed to high temperatures and/or humidity, it will melt. We assure you, your KAKAO is 100% in perfect condition to still enjoy. If it is no longer in powder form to scoop out, you have a few easy options:

Option 1: Break/slice off a few pieces and use a kitchen scale to weigh out 40-50 grams. Prepare as normal.

Option 2: Put the broken chunks of KAKAO into a food processor, to make it into a powder form again. Prepare as normal with 4-5 tbsp.

Yes! We know many women who have drank KAKAO throughout their entire pregnancy.

As always, check in with your higher guidance and with that of your bubs inside of you.

Click here to learn.

KAKAO has very very little caffeine, as it is ceremonial grade. I (Makenzie) personally cannot have ANY caffeine due to an already overstimulated nervous system, and yet 2 cups of KAKAO per day serve me extremely well!

If your higher guidance says yes, then I would let the spirit of Cacao nourish your nervous system, connect you to your higher self and guide you throughout this journey of body, mind, and spirit.

Check out this blog post that Michael wrote on how cacao affects the brain & body:

https://www.flykakao.com/blogs/news/the-science-how-cacao-benefits-the-brain-body

There really is no such thing as fully raw cacao, and there is a lot of miseducation our there now that ‘raw cacao powder’ has become trend in the health-food world.

As per the standards that other ‘raw cacao’ companies abide by, YES we are ‘raw’ because we do not temper or heat our cacao paste. With that said, all cacao beans must be fermented and lightly toasted. We source roasted cacao beans which are required to make drinking chocolate, and no further heating happens from there.

No nutrients are lost when lightly toasting, which is why you can make our KAKAO into a hot cup of drinking chocolate without damaging any of the nutrients that make cacao the superfood that it is.

Furthermore, our KAKAO is specifically made to evoke the power of the cacao spirit. Yes, cacao is a superfood and very good for the brain & body, however we go about our KAKAO-Making/Blessing with the intention of delivering a plant medicine that people can use to access their heart space in daily ceremony/meditation. Beyond the physical body, our KAKAO accesses DNA and chakra systems to upgrade and shift consciousness further in alignment with the person’s Soul.

‘Raw Cacao Powder’ is a derivative of the cacao bean, making it an easy addition to smoothies and healthy desserts. Our KAKAO, however, is much different. KAKAO uses the *whole* cacao bean, meaning all cocoa butter is still present.

A few other other distinct differences:

1. We source Chuncho Cacao beans from Peru and Criollo Cacao from Guatemala. These are native strains of cacao that ensure Mother Earth’s true intention and power is present in your drinking chocolate. Most companies do not elaborate on which strain they source, often times because they don’t know or it is a hybrid. We avoid all man-made, hybrid or genetically modified strains and our mission as a non-profit is to help save the native strains that are currently endangered due to cross-pollination and commercialization.

2. We do not use any commercial processing equipment when creating KAKAO. A traditional stone grinder from Central America is used to create our drinking chocolate from the whole cacao beans. This is very important as we want the vibration of the cacao to stay extremely high and in alignment with Mother Earth.

3. We bless our KAKAO very intentionally with frequencies of love, compassion, abundance and Unity Consciousness. Our KAKAO is to be used *by itself*, in daily ceremony/meditation, versus as an add-in or simple superfood. (KAKAO is *not* made for smoothies or baking!!) KAKAO is a powerful plant medicine, that when embraced properly in Sacred Ceremony, can upgrade your DNA, open your heart, help you access creativity, and bring you further into alignment with your Higher Self.

We travel with KAKAO all the time! We weight out 4-5 tbsp in a sachet before we go so that the measuring is already done. We bring insulated keep-cups and this amazing electric mixer that can be brought on a plane. Check it out here.

We always include the energy/blessing description (or a link to the description) on the product page for the Peruvian KAKAO blend:

We will always post on Instagram @kakaodrinkingchocolate when new editions are created, and will keep the link above updated.

***Please note: The ingredients are always the same; we simply infuse a specific blessing into the KAKAO based on what we were guided to by the spirit of cacao herself.

Our KAKAO recipe never changes, however because we use *native, organic, unaltered* cacao beans, there will be differences in the earthiness, creaminess/cacao butter-content, etc based on the season & climate.

Large chocolate-making corporations go to great extent to ensure their beans & products taste exactly the same every time, typically at the sacrifice of what mother earth actually intended.

KAKAO 501c3 non-profit is committed to purchasing native beans from the cacao farmers, and keeping them unadulterated in any way.

We offer two types of cacao, both native and ceremonial-grade:

1. Peruvian BLEND: We source Chuncho cacao beans from Peru, create it into a pure paste using traditional grinding methods, and then we add in ingredients to make your life simpler: Panela (organic sugar from Peru), Vanilla Extract (fresh from Costa Rica) and Chile Powder (fresh from Peru). When you receive this blend, you can add it to the blender with hot water, optional a bit of coconut oil, and that's it! It of course holds the energy of Peru's sacred lands; we work directly with the chuncho cacao farmers in Quillabamba and currently produce the finished product right in Peru.

2. Peruvian PURE: Same as above, just without the panela, vanilla and chile! This way, you get to choose what you add and how much. You will receive our pure cacao paste, that has been ground up into a granular product for easy scooping/measuring.

We DO create Cacao Paste/Blocks, however we take it one simple step further to make your life easier.

Our process:

1. We take WHOLE cacao beans and put them through a traditional Mexican stone grinder.

2. A paste comes out!

3. For our signature 'Blend' we mix in our 3 core ingredients (Panela, Chile & Vanilla) into the Paste.

4. Instead of drying our Pure paste or Blend paste in a block and selling it to you as a block, we actually CHOP it up after it forms into a block.

5. We place the broken up paste into a food processor, to create a product that is easy for you to use in your every day life.

PLEASE NOTE: We do not alter, change, or omit any part of the sacred cacao bean. We created this innovative process so that you don't have to do all the chopping in your kitchen.

We hope you enjoy :) 

Our Bulk Bags of KAKAO are approx. 110 servings, and it lasts for at least 1 year.

STORAGE recommendation:

For extended shelf life & ultimate freshness, we highly recommend keeping your KAKAO in ziplock bags or air tight containers, inside of a fridge.

Please note, KAKAO Ceremonial Drinking Chocolate is not liable for melted or negatively impacted product due to poor storage conditions.

This heart medicine is calling us all forth to share her in a bigger way.

The world is so, so ready for her assistance in opening our hearts across the globe and dropping into daily ceremony.

We have had so many people ask us recently for our ‘blessing’ to lead their own ceremonies and conscious events utilizing KAKAO.

Yes yes yes.

You have our blessing and support. We couldn’t be more honored to be a part of this movement. And yet we are only ONE small part.

Ceremonial Cacao is simply a connector, meaning the opportunities are endless. Add KAKAO into the gatherings that you create and lead in your community. Whether it’s conscious comedy, couples' retreats, sound healing, yoga and breathwork classes, moon circles, support groups, and sooo much more, KAKAO has the power to supercharge the connection, heart-opening and intention for all of your offerings. .

Our top 5 tips for sharing KAKAO with your friends, family and community:

1. Let the spirit of cacao guide you.

2. Your higher guidance and personal intuition is more powerful than anything Michael and I could ever give you.

3. Remember the sacredness of this plant medicine.

4. Always set intentions and invite those you are sharing with to do the same (whether verbally or inwardly).

5. Be open to miracles!

Continue on in our FAQ section for more information on how to make KAKAO for groups, and more!

Love,

Makenzie

We currently sell at one price on our website. There are about 12 servings per bag of KAKAO, so divide $29 (+ shipping) by 12 = $2.41 per serving before shipping. We recommend that you charge ticket prices for all ceremonies, and include at least $5-10 to cover the cost of KAKAO, shipping, cups, and wooden spoons.

In 2019 we are launching a bulk program! Click here for more info.

For mid-size & larger groups we suggest you use the following:

    * Large stockpot (or several medium-large saucepans)**


    * High Quality Immersion Blender: Click here for example.

    * 40 grams (or 4 tbsp) KAKAO per person


    * 7oz water per person (can be heated on stove OR use hot-water kettles)


    * Optional: Coconut Oil (few spoonfuls depending on size of group)

    * 8oz Biodegradable paper cups: Here is an Amazon link for reference.

    * Wooden spoons. Click here for example.

    * Ladle for scooping the KAKAO in cups OR a pitcher to easily pour into cups.

*If there is a stovetop to keep the KAKAO hot, you can prepare the KAKAO beforehand and heat it on stove before people arrive!

**If no stovetop, you can either purchase a portable electric stove OR simply use hot-water kettles very shortly before people arrive.

Creating a sacred space before people arrive is an essential part of holding cacao ceremonies.

This may include:

Cleansing the space with Sage and/or Palo Santo; diffusing essential oils, cleaning/clearing space, setting up comfy seats, laying out crystals, oracle cards, candles, music, and whatever else you are guided to.

You can also ask people to bring yoga mats and/or cushions if you don't have enough seating space. We love holding cacao ceremonies on the floor, in a circle, while keeping in mind that some people may have trouble sitting on the floor for that long (so may need to lay down).

Decide how you want people to enter the space:

Do you want people to wait outside the room & enter when the ceremony is ready to commence; gather in the space beforehand (I'd recommend having a chime to ring when it’s time!)? Or do you want people to enter the space when they arrive, receive their KAKAO & sit quietly while waiting for the ceremony opening?

We like to have people sit quietly with their KAKAO in the space they choose to sit; you can tell them to drink their KAKAO while hot, or you can have them wait until opening blessing is complete. Ask the spirit of cacao to guide you on this.

At the beginning of ceremony:

Let everyone know that KAKAO is a plant medicine; ask them to invite in the Spirit of Cacao to their heart. It is in reverence to the medicine & to Gaia for gifting it to us.  You can speak about KAKAO & cacao (the plant) -I recommend reading some of the info on our website & sharing the information that speaks to you  - don’t worry about sharing all of it!

Invite people to set their intentions/sip their KAKAO when they receive it as it takes 30-40 minutes to fully activate in the system.

You may want to share some of your own personal experiences with KAKAO, your connection to the medicine is what is gathering people in ceremony.

Share an opening blessing from your heart!

Create space for a period of meditation. You may choose to guide it yourself, listen to a guided meditation, or have a period of silence with music. This can last however long you feel appropriate.

You may choose to open the space & ask people to share their intentions, or you may have a guided question.

Anything else you would like to add into your sacred space: music, toning, breath work, sacred sounds, journaling, intentional sharing, affirmations, etc.

End with a closing blessing from your heart.

Yes! On Soundcloud App, search for/follow the following usernames: 

Life Is The Ceremony

Inquire Within

Michael McPherson. 

These users have various playlists all full of medicine music and other sacred sounds.

This comes from the heart! Personal invites are best. Share that you are creating a sacred space for connection to self, each other, and your community.  If you are hosting this ceremony with a specific intention in mind, share about it! You may feel called to share why you are desiring to create this space in your community &/or why you feel called to invite him/her.

Cacao ceremonies can be one-on-one, say with you and your close friend, or they can be for a group. There is no right or wrong, so follow your guidance and always have the intention to open your heart and connect from that place.

We are so happy you're interested in KAKAO! Please add your products to the cart; when you go to check out, you will be given shipping options for your country, as well as the cost.

If your country doesn't seem available, please email us at hello@flykakao.com

At this time, we only sell KAKAO online and ship internationally from our facility in LA. 

In 2019 we are launching some exciting new programs (bulk, wholesale & private label) that will hopefully open up new countries & distribution. 

5kg (11lb) bulk bags will be up on the website very shortly (if not already).

Pricing is $24/lb 

$24 x 11 lb = $264 per bulk bag

For Those Interested in Private Label: Brief Overview

What is Private Labeling?

Private Labeling is when a company takes a finished product (in this case, KAKAO) & repackages it under their own name/brand for resale to their own customers & network. All packaging, shipment & customs costs, fulfillment fees, cost of doing business & payment processing would be owned by the Company (you) who purchases the bulk product from us (KAKAO Ceremonial Drinking Chocolate).

We would sell you the bulk bags, for you to then repackage in your own packaging/brand. You would sell this onward on your platform(s) of choice.

Pricing is based on quantity & location. For now you can use the prelim pricing of $24/lb (not including shipping & customs). Large orders allow for lower pricing.

We would have a private label contract between you and KAKAO to ensure that once you receive the product, how you package & resell it from there is entirely up to you. Food/packaging licensing etc would be up to you as well, and KAKAO would be removed from all liabilities there :)

More details to come soon.

If you are interested in the program and have all of the below information, please email hello@flykakao.com:

Full Address

Company Name

Quantity (in kgs or lbs) you'd like to start out with

Date you'd like to start (cost of goods + shipping must be paid upfront before we send product).

Any other information about your intentions, the platform you'll be selling it on etc.