Australian Ceremonial Cacao - Mission Beach
We know first hand just how much care has gone into growing and harvesting this rare Australian cacao - which makes all the difference to our strong connection with this homegrown delight.
Our sustainably grown international-award winning Australian whole bean cacao is hand-crafted in the World Heritage wet tropics of Far North Queensland.
This single origin cacao takes ‘bean to bar’ one step further: this is ‘tree to bar’ cacao - meaning the entire process from the seed through to the solidified paste takes place on one, beautiful farm on the slopes of Mount Edna.
AND it’s not just us that recognises the premium quality of this precious cacao. Our Australian cacao has received two Cocoa of Excellence Awards in 2019 and in 2017 - a prestigious, biannual program that selects the 50 best cacao samples in the world based on flavour, quality and uniqueness.
It has also won multiple national awards in its chocolate form, including:
Gold Medal & Trophy Winner at the 2016 Australian Fine Food Awards;
Gold Medal 2016 Melbourne Fine Food Awards;
Gold Medal 2017 Australian Fine Food Awards;
Gold Medal 2017 Australian Fine Food Awards; and
Silver Medal at the 2017 Sydney Royal Chocolate Show.
2017 International Cocoa of Excellence Awards - top 20
Like fine wine and coffee, the quality of cacao varies according to the soil, climate, genetics, and post-havest processes. Our commitment to single origin cacao ensures the unique flavour profile of each region remains intact.
Note: your cacao will come as solidified cacao paste, which we have hand-chopped for your convenience. We then place it in our biodegradable bags or recycled PET jars.
***NEW*** You now have the option to package your Mission Beach cacao with Australian grown, handmade sandalwood and frankincense incense planks, which you can read more about here.
WHY CACAO?
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'.
