Daintree Ceremonial Cacao
This premium quality, certified organic cacao is sourced from the pristine Daintree region, in spectacular Far North Queensland. The trees grow between two World Heritage Listed natural wonders: on one side, the world-famous Great Barrier Reef; on the other, the Daintree Rainforest, one of the oldest and most ecologically diverse rainforests in the world.
Great care is taken by the growers to ensure that there is no chemical run-off that could pollute the soils and waterways of the region. Fertilisers are derived from on-farm inputs, including leaves, prunings and cacao pods. Cacao pod juice, a by-product of the extraction process, is fermented and used as a natural weed-killer. Green ants thrive in the environment, acting as natural pest controllers by preying on beetles, termites and moths.
A much loved, International Cacao of Excellence Award-winning addition to our Soma Cacao range.
Note 1: Soma Cacao contains between 17-45mg caffeine per standard 25g serve (the equivalent of a cup of weak black tea). For more info, visit this page.
Note 2: There is a very small chance your cacao will melt on its way to you, and arrive as a solid mass. Rest assured that this cacao is still perfectly okay - you just need to solidify it at room temperature (or in the fridge if it’s hot) and chop it up again. Many brands sell the cacao as a solid mass/block anyway, we just shave it to make your experience more convenient :)
The Mayans called cacao “the food of the gods”. Along with its rich history of ritualistic and medicinal use, cacao’s crown jewel is theobromine: a gentle, long lasting stimulant that energises us like caffeine, without punishing us with brain-fog and jittery hands later in the day. It’s also rich in essential minerals and produces mood-boosting bioactive compounds - dopamine, serotonin, anandamide (the 'bliss molecule') and P.E.A, an antidepressant also known as the 'love drug'.
For more health benefits including scientific sources, visit our cacao benefits page.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2-3 Tbs Soma Cacao
- 110 mL hot water
- 50 mL milk (we like oat milk)
- 1-2 tsps sweetener (honey, coconut sugar, or maple syrup work great)
METHOD:
Blend all ingredients together using a blender, milk-frother, or whisk. Inhale, sip slowly, and savour!
Cacao powder (or cocoa powder) has undergone intensive processing to extract cacao butter from the paste. This leaves the cacao chalkier and more insipid, and also reduces the fat content, which is vital for the transmission of the neuro-active substances. Studies have proven the widely used method to produce cocoa powder (dutch-processing) significantly decreases the levels of compounds with positive physiological effects.
Our cacao contains the entire cacao bean (excluding the husk/shell). We add nothing, we take nothing away, maintaining the highest concentration of antioxidants, essential minerals, and bliss-inducing compounds.
As an energy source cacao feels more gentle, long-lasting and smooth, while coffee is intense, fast-acting and short-lived. This is because caffeine is a nervous system stimulant, and it produces cortisol, the stress hormone, which can lead to the jitters and anxiety. By contrast, cacao's active ingredient, theobromine, reduces cortisol. This helps us to relax. Cacao also stimulates the cardiovascular system, and opens our blood vessels. This helps blood flow more freely, sends more oxygen through the body, and lowers our blood pressure. We’ve elaborated on this in a recent blog post.
Ceremonial Cacao refers to a premium, pure cacao that is ethically sourced from small family-run sustainable farms.
Ceremonial cacao is made from a single ingredient, whole cacao beans, with nothing added or removed. This is what distinguishes is from cacao powder: a product that has the highly prized cacao butter removed.
Our cacao is minimally processed to retain the highest concentration of antioxidants, bliss-inducing compounds and essential minerals.
Our sourcing methods disrupt the commodity cacao supply chain, which notoriously cuts corners and is notoriously corrupt.
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$59.95
$69.95
Customer Reviews
I have started using this cacao as part of my nighttime routine and it has helped improve my sleep
This is the best one. If you melt it and put it into an ice chocolate it is the richest most pleasant tasting ice chocolate you could ever imagine. If you drink it straight as a hot chocolate, it doesn't have any weird dirt/earthy taste, just strong dark chocolate. This is the winner for me.
Smooth and fragrant. I have mine with coconut sugar, a pinch of salt and a pinch of nutmeg. My morning mug of happiness.
This was absolutely delicious, I found it didn't need any sweeteners at all and enjoyed every sip. It blended beautifully in hot water and added some warm tigernut milk on top for the perfect brew. Thankyou, will definitely be repurchasing. Love that the cacao I bought is grown locally too!
I find the Daintree has a clarity about it which I really love. It's hard to describe. Complexity isn't always the best thing. The words, clarity, simplicity, purity, water, virgin rainforest all come to mind.
The Daintree grown cacao is now my go to. I have even got one of coffee-aholic daughters enjoying cacao now too! I really love it is locally grown as I am from North Queensland.
It's gentle, wholesome, and I find myself reaching for this now, instead of a morning coffee or hot milo! It also leaves me satiated and I don't need something else to snack on, alongside this, as this is quite enough.
delicious as always, my nightcap in bed with a great movie..then drift off to Daintree land , ready for Mexican cacao in the morning, thank you for always delivering beautiful quality to my post box :)
As soon as I opened the bag and that aroma hit me I knew it was going to be great. The quality and taste is exceptional and it more than exceeded my expectations. Thank you and I wish you all the success and happiness in the world.
I recently was given a Hot Chocolate drink when visiting family in Perth, and they had been using the Daintree Cacao. It was delicious, and not sweet like the various commercial brands (even when they state no sweeteners added), just a perfect taste sensation for this relaxing cold weather drink. We immediately purchased 500gm and now enjoy this product at home. Thanks for offering such a tasty and healthy option.