The Criollo Cacao ~ A Living Treasure

Among all the varieties of cacao that the Earth has brought forth — many still unknown or forgotten — there exists one that is almost legendary: the Criollo.

Ancient, delicate, and luminous, it is often regarded as the original cacao, the one cherished by the Mayan civilizations and the first peoples of Mesoamerica. A cacao with a subtle aroma, a noble presence, and a unique vibration.

Botanically, Criollo belongs to one of the three great cacao families, alongside Forastero and Trinitario. It represents only a tiny fraction of the world’s production — barely 5 to 10% — as it requires great care and patience. Its pods, generally pale yellow when ripe, sometimes slightly golden or pinkish, contain cream-to-purple beans known for their sweet, fruity, and floral notes, with low bitterness and astringency. Researchers describe it as a cacao with a complex aromatic profile, rich in fine nuances, low in tannins and caffeine — making it gentle for the body and luminous for the mind. Its beans also contain higher levels of flavanols, natural antioxidants that support circulation, energy, and mental clarity.

Recent studies show that cacao originated in the Upper Amazon region, between Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. From this ancestral stock, known as “Nacional,” some lineages migrated northward, carried by human exchanges, rivers, and winds. There, in Mesoamerica — on the volcanic lands of Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, and southern Mexico — cacao evolved and refined itself, giving rise to the Criollo variety: softer, lighter, and of incomparable finesse. Thus, Criollo can be seen as the child of the South and the jewel of the North — a natural evolution of Amazonian cacao shaped by the Olmec and Mayan peoples, through their art, their climate, and their intimate relationship with the Earth.

Delicate in taste, smooth and round on the palate, Criollo is ideal for preparing ceremonial-grade cacao. It can easily be drunk pure, without sugar, allowing the full richness of its living nature to unfold. The ancient Mayas, great connoisseurs of cacao, called it the Black Prince, in homage to its depth, rarity, and nobility.

The exact origins of its domestication remain a mystery: some researchers attribute it to the Mayas, others to the Olmecs — an even older civilization considered one of the mother cultures of Mesoamerica. What is known is that for millennia, this cacao has been cultivated, honored, and transmitted as a sacred gift, selected over time for its refinement and light. It is the Criollo cacao that was elevated to the rank of “food of the gods” — a tribute enshrined by botany itself through its Greek name Theobroma cacao L., literally “food of the gods.”

Even today, agronomists describe it as a fragile and low-yielding variety. Yet, according to many growers, when left free and respected — without forcing its growth — it naturally regains its strength. It is a cacao that loves freedom. To protect it, farmers often practice grafting, an ancient art that unites two cacao trees: a strong base from a resistant variety such as Forastero, and a tender branch of Criollo carrying its essence and finesse. The rootstock offers stability and grounding strength; the graft brings light, memory, and the sacred taste. Together, they become a new being — stronger, yet faithful to the soul of Criollo.

This cacao is not just a variety; it is a living being — sensitive, expressive, and ever changing. It thrives best when surrounded by other trees: fruit-bearing, shady, protective. It loves diversity and the living forest. It reminds us that true richness is always born from relationship.

Today, few lands still host Criollo in its purest form. Some are found in Mesoamerica — in Guatemala and Mexico — the cradle of its ancient lineage. Others, established later, are in Venezuela and northern Peru, where this cacao has found new lands of refuge and preservation, continuing to radiate its delicate and luminous essence.

From there comes the cacao we share in the heart of Europe: an ancient lineage, hand-processed, with each bean peeled by hand before being stone-ground into blocks.

The Criollo is not only a rare cacao; it is a Master Plant, as the Amazonian shamanic lineage calls it — a Teacher Plant, endowed with a highly evolved spirit, bearer of teachings and codes of light. In all its delicacy and radiance, strength and wisdom, it is a true medicine for the world.

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With much love,

Sakara

© One Love Cacao – Please name the source if you copy or share this text.

Sources et References

• Aprotosoaie, A. C., Luca, S. V., & Miron, A. (2016). Flavor Chemistry of Cocoa and Chocolate: A Review.Pharmacognosy Reviews, 10(20), 91–103.

• Motamayor, J. C. et al. (2008). Geographic and Genetic Population Differentiation of the Amazonian Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao L.). PLoS ONE, 3(10), e3311.

• Leissle, K. (2018). Cocoa. Polity Press – Chapitre sur les variétés Criollo, Forastero, Trinitario.

• Zarrillo, S. et al. (2018). The use and domestication of Theobroma cacao during the mid-Holocene in the upper Amazon. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2(12), 1879–1888.