I know I’m not the first one to write a love letter to cacao.
She’s added so much joy, creativity, focus, and flow to my life. I just had to take a minute and give thanks for her generosity and share with others the incredible changes I’ve experienced.
It’s only been about 3 weeks since I started drinking chocolate. For those of you new to cacao, it’s basically chocolate that’s been minimally processed.
Cacao is not cocoa. It’s nothing like Hershey’s or that dusty hot chocolate mix we get from the grocery store with marshmallows.
Freshly harvested from a tree, cacao looks like this.
And after roasting and fermentation, she looks like this.
I came to cacao in search of something to help with my ADD.
She did NOT disappoint.
I drink her in the morning when I rise and feel focused, supported by a steady flow of energy flowing through my body the whole day. Did I mention she’s also a mood booster and heart opener?
If that wasn’t enough, cacao has a TON of nutrients…
❖She is a rich source of magnesium, which most adults are low in.
❖ She has 20x more antioxidants than blueberries.
❖Cacao is one of the highest plant-based sources of iron.
❖ She contains theobromine, a slow release stimulant that helps elevate mood.
❖ She is also naturally high in potassium, calcium, chromium, manganese, zinc, sulfur, and much more.
I have to say that the one thing I did not expect was the significant boost in my overall mood. This has been such an amazing gift. I feel more balanced and at ease. But more energized at the same time.
It’s been lovely getting to know her.
With all the medicine and minerals contained within her borders, one would expect such a powerful plant to taste…well medicinal. But as you know that’s where she shines.
We all know what chocolate tastes like but cacao hits a bit different. Cacao is chocolate, just processed a bit differently to keep its nutrients intact. I would describe the taste as earthy, dark, and deep. Still rich, still dreamy, just deeper and more intense.
I make my drinking cacao with hot water, maple syrup, a pinch of monk fruit, and cayenne pepper.
A note of caution if you wish to plumb her depths - she’s powerful and so do consider your dose. I usually weigh out about 20-25 grams. I took 35 grams one day and felt like I had 3 shots of espresso! Lawd I was a mess! You can definitely have too much of a good thing!
I recommend sipping her slowly and with intention or you may end up on a crazy ride like I did (I gulped her down while multi-tasking and the resulting energy boost was super intense and buzzy - kinda like drinking double the coffee you’re used to).
Cacao has so inspired me that I’ve been at work testing various cacao recipes. I’ve been blending her with some of my other plant allies to see what kind of magic we can all make together. It’s been so much fun tasting and testing chocolate with my friends and family! Even my fails taste amazing!
If you'd like to try our amazing herbal drinking chocolate, you can learn more here.