Cacao was not born in open fields, but in the forest. As an understory tree, it lives in shade, in close relationship with living soils, protective trees and the many forms of life around it. Understanding its original habitat already allows us to sense what cacao has to offer. Its quality arises from these living relationships, and its fruit invites deeper connection — with ourselves, with others and with the world.

Ceremonial cacao comes from whole beans hand-harvested, fermented in banana leaves, sun-dried, and never industrially processed. The rare and gentle Criollo variety creates a pure, rich drink full of active compounds that support presence, clarity, and well-being. A cacao that preserves its essence and the bond with those who cultivate it.

Among all the varieties of cacao that the Earth has brought forth, there exists one almost legendary: the Criollo — ancient, delicate, and luminous. Born from the ancestral roots of the Amazon, Criollo blossomed in Mesoamerica, refined by the hands and hearts of the Mayan peoples. Gentle in taste, smooth and radiant, Criollo is ideal for ceremonial cacao — a pure expression of the living spirit of this sacred plant. Criollo is not only a rare cacao; it is a Master Plant, carr

The global cacao system, shaped by colonial structures, is beginning to crack. While profits concentrate at the top, grassroots communities and autonomous farmer collectives are cultivating a new paradigm — ethical, regenerative, rooted in land and sovereignty. Where the Earth leads, a different world begins to take root.

Dans cet entretien avec Sakara, Dominique Ziegler explore l’histoire cachée du cacao, entre mémoire coloniale, conscience et transformation. Il met aussi en lumière le rôle, longtemps occulté, de la Suisse - et de certaines familles helvétiques - dans les économies et les affaires coloniales liées au cacao, révélant ce que le théâtre peut encore rendre visible.

Journée Internationale de Protection de l’Amazonie, berceau du Cacao