We often share cacao at events and markets, and find that each time we do, almost inevitably someone approaches us to ask why cacao doesn’t taste as good when they make it themselves at home.

There is nothing special about the way we prepare cacao. We have been doing it almost every day for almost a decade, in which time we’ve nailed down our own favourite methods and recipes, but we know that anyone, given a little time, will master their own personal signature brew.

If we were to give some pointers, they would be these:

1. We 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 use Soma Cacao, which we source personally from small farms in order to guarantee that the farmers use only the highest-quality fine-flavoured beans AND that the beans are processed by experienced chocolatiers (one chocolate expert told us that post-harvest processing accounts for up to 70% of the flavour quality of cacao beans, meaning that expert chocolatiers are vital to what we do to set Soma Cacao apart!) We’ve tried literally hundreds of different cacaos from all around the world, and have picked the five best to share at Soma Cacao.

2. We have our own favourite recipe, which we have refined over the years until it is just about perfect (for us!) Try experimenting with spices and different plant milks (or animal milks); try adding more salt; try different sweeteners; try adding vanilla or chilli for a change. Hone your personal recipe until one day you find yourself exclaiming “O LORDY!” “EUREKA!” “HOLY MOLY WOW!” or simply “I FEEL HAPPY!” When a cup of cacao makes you sigh, moan, or dance, then you’ve made a good cacao. And keep in mind that experimentation never really ends - even after all these years, we are still trying different things with different cacaos; part of the joy of making your own cacao is in the discovery of new things.

Pointer number one can be followed simply by choosing to order from Soma.

Pointer number two is a work in progress (read on for the top three mistakes people make when preparing their cacao, as well as our own favourite recipe).

As always, we’re here to help if you want further guidance, or feel free to check out our preparation page where we've got plenty of tips and tricks that we continue to update based on your questions and feedback.

OUR RECIPE:

Ingredients:

• 2 heaped Tbsps Soma Cacao

• 100-150mL hot water

• 50mL milk (we like oat milk)

• 1 tsp honey

• Pinch Salt

Method:

Add ingredients to milk frother (keep in mind that some makes of milk frother work best with cold ingredients; in others it’s best to melt the cacao in hot water before adding milk) and froth, or simply blend together using our Soma Cacao portable blender!

MISTAKE ONE: TOO MUCH
LIQUID

If in doubt, always start with LESS liquid and add more if you find your cacao too thick. The cacao should be rich like a cappuccino, not watery like a tea.

MISTAKE TWO: NOT BLENDING YOUR CACAO

We can’t stress enough how much of a game changer it is to blend your cacao. Whole bean cacao, unlike cacao powder, is not soluble in water, so it needs some kinesthetic action to make the magic happen. Just like coffee, which requires equipment, we recommend some sort of gadget to make the best cacao.

MISTAKE THREE: USING THE WRONG MILK

While we recommend that you not use too much milk, a little milk rounds out the flavour and mouthfeel of a cup of cacao. The best option, in our opinion, is a good quality oat milk.

We’ve tried most brands of oat milk on the market, and our favourite is the oat milk from @thealternativedairyco. Milk Lab Barista Oat Milk also makes a very decent cup.

If you are a celiac or prefer other plant milks, the next best options are coconut milk and macadamia nut milk. Almond milk is also okay, though we feel it interferes with the flavour of the cacao a little too much.