1. Growing: all cacao comes from cacao trees (Theobroma cacao). Cacao trees take up to 5 years to mature. Once mature, cacao trees grow thousands of flowers every year. However, only a small percentage (as low as 1%) produce a cacao pod. Each football sized pod takes nearly 6 months to ripen and contains about 30-40 almond-shaped seeds surrounded by a sweet, juicy pulp.
2. Harvesting: Once the cacao pods have ripened, they are cut down from the trees. This is no easy task given that cacao trees can reach heights of nearly 40ft. The pods are then split in half with a machete or wooden club and the pulp removed by hand. Though cacao can be harvested nearly year round, there are two main harvesting times each year, which varies depending on the type of cacao strain you are working with.
(photo credit: Sumaq Foods)
3. Fermentation: the cacao bean, still inside its pulp, must be fermented anywhere from 1-4 days. Typically taking place in a wooden fermentation box, this process allows the cacao bean to shed its pulp and undergo specific chemical changes that allow it to obtain its characteristic aroma and flavor.
(photo credit: Sumaq Foods)
4. Drying: after fermentation the cacao beans are then laid out to dry in a designated drying center. Weather permitting, the beans will reduce their moisture content from about 60% to 7.5% over the course of one week. Once dried, the cacao beans can be stored for 4-5 years.
(photo credit: Sumaq Foods)
5. Shipping: the beans are then packed, packaged, and shipped to their end destination. Depending on their country of origin, this process can take anywhere from 1-3 weeks.
(photo credit: Sumaq Foods)
6. Roasting & Winnowing: once at their final destination, the beans can then begin to be processed. Compared to coffee beans, cacao beans are roasted at much lower temperatures and for much shorter periods of time. This process must be monitored very closely as over-roasting is common and can easily destroy the flavor profile of the bean. After roasting, the beans are then cooled and "winnowed." Winnowing is a technical term for the process of removing the husks (or shells) from the bean.
7. Grinding: the remaining cacao beans are then stone ground with a traditional stone grinder into what's known as a 'cacao paste'. At this point, panela is added to the cacao causing the paste to thicken and take on a course consistency, like the one you see in each scoop of KAKAO. Other ingredients like vanilla and chile spices can be ground along with and at the same time as the cacao.
8. Drying & Food Processing: The dry paste is then chopped up and put briefly through a food processor, so that you don't have to chop it at home! Sometimes, if exposed to summer temperatures, the paste can melt back together again. If this happens with your KAKAO, simply chop it up with a large knife and/or run through a food processor. You can use a kitchen scale to weigh out your daily dose of KAKAO.
9. Packaging and Shipping: Each order received is packed and shipped by hand, meaning it's sent away with love to your doorstep.
At this point, if you hadn't already, we hope that you have a more profound understanding of all that is required to get cacao out of the forest and into your cup. We approach each cup of KAKAO with absolute gratitude, respect, and reverence, not only for the divine plant wisdom that lies within, but also for all the time, energy, and love (from all the people involved) that goes into making this beautiful plant medicine available to the world.
Our invitation to you is that you invite this same reverence into your heart as you participate in your own daily ceremony. Cheers!
"Indigenous mythology recounts how whenever the balance between humans and nature becomes threatened, cacao leaves the rainforest to open people's hearts and return the planet to harmony."
]]>1. It's produced from Native Cacao Strains: native meaning it's found growing naturally, in the wild, without human interaction/cultivation. These strains are both the rarest and most concentrated in the compounds necessary for ceremonial use.
Criollo: native to Guatemala
Chuncho: native to Peru
Other cacao varieties exist, such as Forastero, (literally meaning "Foreigner" in Spanish), Trinitario, and CN51. These strains accounts for about 95% of the world's chocolate production. It is cultivated for mass production because of its large seeds, higher yield potential, and resistance to bugs & bacteria.
Many challenges arise for farmers and the planet when man-made strains of cacao are planted and harvested in places that cacao is not naturally meant to grow. When non-native strains of cacao are grown in the same region as the native strains, the farmers are typically incentivized to focus on the non-native cacao harvest due to higher global demand and wage security, hence why the native strains are considered endangered. Furthermore, the amount in which these man-made strains are being cultivated is having huge detriment on the soil and driving the prices down for farmers to the point of slavery.
To learn more about the dark sides of chocolate, and our motivation for doing it differently, view the Chocolate/Cacao episode of ROTTEN on Netflix.
Our sources and partners on the ground in both Peru & Guatemala have shared the following information with us:
In Guatemala, the true native strain of cacao is called Criollo. There are only around 12 true criollo trees left in Guatemala, which our source Laurent is working on protecting and salvaging. If you are being sold cacao called Criollo from Guatemala, be very wary of the source and do your best to go to the farms yourself and learn.
In Peru, the true native strain of cacao is called Chuncho. There is a lot of cacao in Peru called 'criollo' yet this is not truly the original & wild strain of cacao in this region. If you are being sold ceremonial cacao from Peru, please use your discernment and do your best to go the farms yourself and learn.
2. Minimal processing: this means the beans still contain all or most of their natural compounds. Ceremonial cacao is made from whole bean, organic cacao. These beans undergo a fermentation process necessary for cultivating their flavor profile and activating certain natural compounds. The beans are then roasted at low temperatures, cracked, and stone ground by traditional means. Ceremonial cacao is NEVER tempered.
3. Intention: from tree to cup, ceremonial cacao is cultivated with intention, and in alignment with the Cacao Spirit. This means the lands, the farmers, the process, and the finished cacao are treated with compassion, love, respect, and reverence.
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1. Theobromine: hence the scientific name, theobromine cacao. Theobromine is one of the finest members of a class of alkaloids known as xanthines. Theobromine has been proven to lower blood pressure, increase serum HDL cholesterol (the good kind), and enhance lung functioning by opening up air passages via smooth muscle relaxation. Theobromine enhances cognitive function by increasing blood flow and oxygenation to the brain as well as doubles as an antioxidant capable of mitigating oxidative stress and reducing inflammation. For those that love to exercise, theobromine also blocks adenosine receptors, enabling a short-term increase in muscular contractility.
2. Tryptophan: An essential amino acid and the sole precursor for the neurotransmitter serotonin, commonly known as the "feel-good chemical." Serotonin is well known for its ability to combat stress and improve our mood by promoting the feelings of comfort, contentment, happiness, and relaxation. Serotonin can also improve sleep, provide relief from the symptoms of depression and anxiety, modulate pain thresholds, and increase our sense of emotional well-being.
3. Phenylethylamine (PEA): better known as "the love drug" for its association with infatuation, PEA stimulates the central nervous system to release the body's natural opium-like compounds called endorphins. This is somewhat similar to the sensation of orgasm. PEA also signals the body to promote the sensation of alertness, focus, and mental acuity, all while elevating one's mood, speeding up metabolism, and boosting memory.
4. Anandamide: known as the "bliss molecule" for its role in producing the feeling of happiness, anandamide is an endogenous cannabinoid found naturally in cacao and the human brain. While anandamide won't leave you in a mind-altered state, its happiness producing effect does offer some protection against stress-related psychiatric diseases including major depression, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
5. Magnesium: every cell in the body contains this mineral and requires it to function. Magnesium helps increase energy, calms nerves, aids in digestion, and relieves muscle aches and pains (among a whole host of other benefits).
6. Copper: a mineral required for biological processes such as iron transport, glucose metabolism, infant growth and brain development.
We could go on for days touting the health benefits of cacao, but to save you your sanity (and us ours), we'll simply sum it all up with this epic quote:
"After water, cacao is the single healthiest substance you can put in your mouth. It can easily replace a number of psychiatric drugs for mood, plus it produces the same chemistry in the brain that occurs when we fall in love." - Chris Kilham, WellBella
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