Ceremonial-Grade Cacao ~ What Makes It Unique

Sakara
Jan 21
3 min read

For centuries, cacao has held an essential place in several Mesoamerican civilizations. The Olmecs, the Maya and the Aztecs prepared it as a dense drink made from ground cacao beans, water and sometimes spices or maize. Archaeological sources show that cacao appeared in specific contexts: celebrations, important exchanges, and ritual or ceremonial practices, whose exact function is not always known but clearly reflects an intentional and structured use.

In 1757, the botanist Linnaeus gave the cacao tree its scientific name Theobroma Cacao L., “food of the gods”, a name that has remained unchanged and that reflects the cultural and symbolic value attributed to this plant through the centuries.

Today, when we speak of ceremonial-grade cacao, we refer to a cacao prepared from whole cacao beans ground as they are, without defatting or industrial processing. After being hand-harvested, the cacao beans are placed to ferment in freshly cut banana leaves — a traditional method that few producers still maintain — and then dried slowly in the sun. Unlike industrial methods, they are never exposed to high temperatures after fermentation: only a very gentle woodfire heating, just enough to soften the husk without altering the natural compounds.

A defining characteristic of our Raíces Maya cacao is that once lightly heated, the cacao beans are peeled entirely by hand, one by one. This long and meticulous work, now rare, preserves the full integrity and quality of the bean. The beans are then slowly ground into a pure paste, made directly by the cultivating families. This is exactly what is known as the tree-to-block process: a cacao paste created at the source, by the growers themselves, from whole beans, without any industrial intermediary (see our article Cacao Tree-to-Bloc).

Among existing varieties, Criollo occupies a special place. One of the oldest and rarest cacaos, it is appreciated for its natural sweetness, low bitterness and almost complete lack of astringency — making it an ideal choice for drinking pure cacao without sugar. Criollo is also particularly rich in active compounds, which are best preserved when the transformation remains artisanal (see our article Criollo Cacao, A Living Treasure).

Among these bioactive compounds, the best known are theobromine, which gently stimulates circulation and supports alertness without the excitability of caffeine; flavonoids, antioxidants associated with cardiovascular support and microcirculation; anandamide, a neuromodulator involved in mood regulation; and phenylethylamine (PEA), linked to motivation and mental clarity. These compounds act together and are one of the main reasons why pure cacao attracts increasing interest today (see our article The Happiness Molecules of Cacao).

Ceremonial-grade cacao is drawing increasing attention because it allows access to the cacao bean in its most complete form, without heavy processing or additives. Many people seek products whose origin, method of transformation and composition are transparent. Ceremonial cacao answers precisely this need: it offers a dense and complex drink, faithful to the raw material, while allowing one to know the terroir, the families who grow it and the gestures that shape it.

In essence, ceremonial cacao is a whole, artisanal and unmodified cacao, crafted directly by the growers using a process close to tree-to-block. Its quality relies both on the variety used — such as Criollo — and on a transformation method that fully preserves the bean’s natural richness.

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With you.

Sakara & the One Love team

🌿 Sources:

Dillinger, T. L. et al. (2000). Food of the Gods: Cure for Humanity? A Cultural History of the Medicinal and Ritual Use of Chocolate. The Journal of Nutrition, 130(8), 2057S–2072S.
McNeil, C. L. (2006). Chocolate in Mesoamerica: A Cultural History of Cacao. University Press of Florida.

Lippi, D. (2013). Chocolate in History: Food, Medicine, Mediator of the Spirit. Nutrients, 5(5), 1573–1585.