Cacao or Kakaw as pronounced in the Mayan language was consumed by the Mesoamerican peoples as early as 5,300 years ago. The Mexica people considered it the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the God of Wisdom, while the Maya had their own God, Ek Chuaj who was the patron of Cacao. Ek Chuaj was also the God of Merchants and cacao beans were used as a currencythroughout the region. The Aztec Empire collected a tribute of 980 cacaoxiquipilli“bean loads” per annum, and each of these special loads had exactly 8000 beans. 80-100 beans could buy you a new cloth mantle. Cacao was a real money tree! Brought to Europe by the Dominicans, it is one flavour that has conquered the world.

The cacao tree has 3 key varieties criollo, forastero and trinitario. Our current organic cacao beans belong to the criollo-trinitario hybrid variety. As the cacao seeds are recalcitrant, which means they cannot be freeze-dried, it is important that biodiversity in the cacao species is maintained. Organic growing methods are employed by patient farmers.

Theobromine means the Food of the Gods in Ancient Greek. Theos = God and Brosis = feast/ feeding. Theobromine brings blood to the brain, and it is a natural stimulant that perks up the whole system without the jittery effects of coffee. Good for the heart too as it can help to lower blood pressure. 

As the husk is part of the same package as the bean they have a similar nutritional profile. High levels of Vitamin E, K1, Thiamine and Niacin help with your general wellbeing. Cacao is one of the foods high in Tryptophan, an essential amino acid that the body uses to produce melatonin and serotonin. Melatonin helps regulate the sleep – awake cycle, while serotonin is responsible for our mood and appetite.