10/04/2024
The known history of cacao goes all the way back to the earliest Meso American civilization, the Olmecs and later the Mayans and the Aztecs.
Common to all the cultures is that they made a drink of it.
It was (and still is!) partly used as lunch in the fields by hardworking farmers who mixed it with corn into a wholesome drink.
But it was also used as a sacred drink in ceremonies due to its mild, psychoactive and heart opening properties. This drink was not the sweet hot chocolate we know today, but an intense drink often made with spices.
In the 16th. century the Spanish conquerors took the sacred drink to Europe where it quickly became a favourite by the royalty. To sweeten the intense flavour the Europeans began adding sugar and honey to it.
With its popularity came demand and exploitation started. Cacao plantations spread across tropical colonies, as did a fast growing slave market. Machines were developed for a more efficient production and big industry grew.
The word "cocoa" was invented and is still today the English industry term for all altered states of the cacao fruit. When it is ground into nibs, processed into a paste, a liquor or a powder as a raw ingredient in chocolate making, cacao becomes cocoa.
In the mid 1800s Englishman Joseph Fry discovered a way to mould chocolate into solid bars, and the first real chocolate factory was born. Then came milk and later white chocolate and the rest is history…
Today big industry chocolate making and cacao growing is a sad story involving both child labor, mono cropping, intensive use of chemicals and heavy post processing. ☹️
On the bright side however a small revolution has started to take chocolate back to its original roots as a potent and sacred drink, honoring its true essence and spirit.
Our cacao is grown, fermented and sun dried by Daniel South in his tiny farm in the lush Costa Rican rainforest with simple, traditional techniques and cacao compost as the only fertilizer. Then gently roasted and ground into a liquid by us to merge old and new in perfect harmony.
The result is much more than chocolate. It is 100% pure cacao with a 100% transparent supply chain made with 100% love. 💙🌴
