About Cacao
Where cacao comes from, how ceremonial cacao is made and what's in a cup. For our own blends, see the FAQ.
Where cacao comes from
Botanical origins
Cacao comes from Theobroma cacao, a tree whose name translates as "food of the gods". The tree is believed to have evolved around 10 million years ago in the northern Amazon, in what is now Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. Archaeological evidence shows cacao was first domesticated at least 5,300 years ago by the Mayo-Chinchipe culture in what is now south-east Ecuador.
From rainforest to the world
Around 5,000 years ago, people carried cacao north across the Andes into Central America, where it became part of Mesoamerican life. The Olmec, around 1800 BC, were among the first people known to brew drinks from cacao seeds. Later the Maya and Aztecs grew cacao widely and used it in ceremonies, as currency and in daily life.
The cacao tree today
Cacao trees grow in tropical regions within 20 degrees of the equator. There are three main varieties: Criollo, prized for its delicate flavour; Forastero, the most widely grown; and Trinitario, a natural hybrid that appeared in Trinidad in the 1700s.
How ceremonial cacao is made
Minimal processing
Ceremonial cacao is made by grinding whole cacao beans at low temperatures, not much above room temperature. Commercial cocoa powder has the cacao butter pressed out and the remaining solids are often heated to high temperatures. Ceremonial cacao keeps the full cacao butter and solids from the whole bean.
The process
Farmers harvest and ferment the beans, then dry them. Producers stone-grind or mill them at low speed so they don't overheat, which keeps the natural flavour. The result is a paste that sets into blocks or discs, ground cacao with nothing added and nothing taken out. At Unified Cacao we blend ground cacao with a few other ingredients into a drink mix you can make in a mug in about sixty seconds.
What makes it "ceremonial"
There's no legal definition or industry standard for "ceremonial-grade" cacao. Good ceremonial cacao is usually:
- Single-origin, from a named region with known farmers or co-operatives
- Free from added sugar, lecithin and vegetable fats
- Made from heirloom or fine-flavour cacao varieties
- Minimally processed, with the natural fat left in
More detail in our guide, What is ceremonial cacao?
What's in cacao
Cacao naturally contains flavonoids, a group of plant compounds, along with minerals including magnesium and iron, and theobromine, a compound related to caffeine. Because ceremonial cacao keeps the full cacao butter, almost half of it is fat.
Honouring cacao
Respecting the roots
For thousands of years cacao has been sacred to the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. The Maya considered it a divine gift, used in rituals led by priests and drunk by royalty. The Aztecs offered it to their gods and treated it as a symbol of abundance and life.
Cultural stewardship
Cacao's ceremonial use comes from these traditions, and that heritage deserves respect rather than appropriation. We try to honour it by:
- Buying from co-operative farms and being open about what we know, and don't yet know, about our supply chain
- Recognising that cacao's spiritual significance belongs to the cultures that have looked after it for millennia
- Treating cacao with gratitude for the knowledge that has kept this plant and its traditions alive
A living tradition
From the highlands of Guatemala around Lake Atitlán to the cacao-growing regions of Ecuador, indigenous communities still honour cacao through ceremony and ritual. Drinking cacao today connects you to a tradition that has lasted more than 5,000 years.
I've had a lot of joy from cacao, and it's an honour to share it with you. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Joe Motion, founder of Unified Cacao
