Cacao – the Sacred Drink of the Gods
For thousands of years, cacao has been revered in the cultures of Central and South America as a sacred medicine. The Maya in particular celebrated it during their most important ceremonies as the drink of the gods – powerful, unifying, nourishing, and full of magic. Even today, in the Mayan culture of Guatemala, cacao is amongst others still used for life path ceremonies, for proposals of love, and to support the birthing process.
It is a great gift that we are now able to experience the power of the Cacao Goddess within our own culture. The loving spirit of raw cacao gently embraces us, opens our hearts, and allows emotions long held within to flow again.
Prepared ceremonially, cacao becomes a magical elixir that helps us access a higher awareness of ourselves and our life path. It harmonizes our energy field, centers us within, and at the same time grounds us deeply.
As a wise plant spirit, Mama Cacao walks beside us on the path of healing – deepening our connection to intuition, inspiration, and creativity, while nurturing us with her essence and delighting us with her uniquely rich, chocolatey taste.
The transformational process of raw cacao
A cacao pod, when cracked open, reveals a sweet, delicious white pulp that surrounds the precious, yet bitter, cacao beans embedded within.
This pulp is especially loved by birds, which are actually the biggest threat to a growing cacao pod. They peck holes into the pod’s thick skin to feast on the sugary flesh inside.
After harvesting the Cacao pods, the beans inside them have to undergo the important process of fermentation, which is a crucial step in transforming raw cacao beans into the chocolate we know and love.
After the pods are cracked open, the beans—still covered in their sweet, white pulp—are scooped out and piled into boxes, baskets, or heaped on banana leaves to ferment.
During fermentation, natural yeasts and bacteria break down the sugary pulp, generating heat and alcohol in the process. This activity causes a rise in temperature and encourages a complex series of chemical reactions within the beans.
Over 5 to 7 days, the beans undergo significant changes:
The pulp breaks down and drains away.
The bean’s internal structure changes, developing the precursors to chocolate flavor and reducing bitterness.
Fermentation not only helps develop the rich, complex flavors of chocolate (without fermentation chocolate would taste flat, bitter, or even sour) but also kills the germ inside the bean, making it safe to roast and grind later on.
Raw cacao is often referred to as a superfood—and for good reason. Inside each cacao bean lies a powerful combination of nutrients, antioxidants, and natural compounds that make it both valuable and unique.
For ceremonial Cacao I use the raw Cacao paste, which is the final product of fermentation, roasting and grinding the beans, a process carried out with patience, intention, and love.
Cacao is so much more than just an ingredient—it's a heart-opening MEDICINE, a gift from the earth that speaks directly to the soul. Each cup carries the essence of the cacao spirit, ready to guide you inward, gently awaken your emotions, and reconnect you to your heart.
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