What ceremonial cacao is
It's the whole cacao bean, fermented and stone-ground with its natural cacao butter left in, all 54% of it. That's the difference between a cup of ceremonial cacao and a scoop of cocoa powder.
Most people come to it looking for a gentler morning than coffee. What they stay for is the ten quiet minutes it asks of them.
How many 8 oz bags?
Choose your blends. Doubles welcome.
How would you like it?
15% off every bag, delivered every 4, 6 or 8 weeks. 3-month minimum, then skip, push or change anytime.
5% off 3 bags, 10% off 4 bags.
Want to try everything? The Ultimate Bundle has all six blends for $150 (save $24).
What a cup gives you
Steady energy.
Theobromine is a gentle stimulant with a long half-life. It lifts you without the jitters or the crash, which is why so many people use cacao to ease off coffee.
Lifted mood.
Cacao carries anandamide, phenylethylamine and the building blocks of serotonin and dopamine, along with compounds that help them linger.
Deep minerals.
Cacao is one of the richest natural sources of magnesium, and it brings iron, zinc, copper and manganese too. The cacao butter helps carry them in.
A slower morning.
Ceremony is simply attention: warming the cup, setting an intention, drinking without a screen. Ten minutes that change the shape of a day.
Note: Cacao is contraindicated with SSRIs, SNRIs and NDRIs. If you take one of these, please talk with your doctor before drinking ceremonial doses.
Paste or ground
Both are full-fat, 54% cacao butter, with nothing removed. The only real difference is how you like to make it.
How to prepare
Measure.
Start with about 2 tablespoons (20 g) for a daily cup. Once you know how it sits with you, work up to a fuller ceremonial dose.
Warm.
Add 6 to 8 oz of hot water or plant milk, around 175°F. Keep it off a hard boil, because boiling water dulls the flavor.
Froth and sit.
Blend or froth for ten seconds, which is what makes the texture. Then set an intention and drink it slowly, away from your screen.
Tested, traceable, whole
Metals tested.
Third-party tested, with our lead and cadmium results published on the Safe Cacao page.
Clean inputs.
Screened for herbicides and pesticides, with no added sugar in the pure blends.
Regenerative.
Grown under canopy by a family and community caring for their own land.
Direct trade.
We buy from the farm directly and pay 3x above fair trade.
Vegan and non-GMO.
One ingredient in the pure blends, and nothing you can't pronounce in the others.
FAQ
How is this different from cocoa powder?
Cocoa powder has most of its cacao butter pressed out. Ours is the whole bean with all 54% of its butter left in, so it melts into a rich cup and carries the minerals and theobromine with it.
How does Subscribe & Save work?
Every bag in your bundle is 15% off, delivered every 4, 6 or 8 weeks. There's a 3-month minimum, and after that you can skip, push or change your order from your account.
Will it keep me up at night?
One cup has roughly a third of the caffeine of a cup of coffee, balanced by theobromine, which is slower and softer. Most people drink it before 2pm while they get used to it.
Which blend should a beginner pick?
Maple Sweetened is the gentlest start. Pair it with Pure so you can taste what unsweetened Chuncho is like, then branch out.
Do I need special equipment?
A small whisk works. An electric frother or blender works better, and ten seconds of blending is the difference between gritty and silky.
Is it tested for heavy metals?
Yes. Every batch is third-party tested and the results are published on our Safe Cacao page.
What if I don't love it?
Write to us within 30 days and we'll make it right.
When does the Ritual Guide arrive?
It's emailed within a few minutes of your first order, with the recipes and a short walkthrough of a home ceremony.
A note before you goFriend, the first time I sat with real ceremonial cacao, I didn't expect much. I'd been drinking cocoa my whole life. What I got instead was an hour of feeling completely present, and a clear sense that I'd been handed something much older than me.
That's what we try to put in every bag: whole beans from a family who has tended these groves for generations, ground slowly and sent to you with nothing taken out. Start with two bags and see what a week of slow mornings does.
With gratitude, Justin
P.S. The Ritual Guide that comes with your first bundle has the recipes we actually make at home: the maple oat cup, the spiced evening version, and the one my daughter asks for. It's the part I would have wanted on day one.
