CACAO

Theobroma cacao

Chocolate is a love language for many people. Myself included. I remember the first time my mum gave me a piece of dark, dark chocolate (like over 80% cacao content) and I wasn’t impressed. “You’re kidding me? This is proper chocolate?” - I found it bitter and unpalatable. It felt so far removed from the creamy, sugar-loaded deliciousness that I knew chocolate to be. This, I imagine is a common experience and where we find ourselves in the Western world - a mammoth disconnect between us as consumers, and the plant which is responsible for bringing us so much pleasure in the form of modern commercial chocolate products.

Chocolate is derived from the cacao plant. Theobroma cacao is a tree which is native to tropical parts of South America and was first cultivated by either the Olmec or Maya civilisation around 1000 B.C. The seeds of the plant have been used by Indigenous groups across Mesoamerica for centuries. The astounding health benefits and pronounced psychoactive effects meant that cacao was highly revered and ritualised, being held in the greatest esteem by Indigenous groups of the Mayan, Aztec and Olmec people. Theobroma cacao literally translates as ‘food of the Gods’. Cacao didn’t hit the Western world until the 1500’s when the first shipment arrived in Spain, and it spread like wild fire when Europeans understood what all fuss was about. Fast forward a few centuries, add some sugar, milk solids and all sorts of other forms of processing and ingredients and we find ourselves where we are today - an almost infinite amount of products and ways to enjoy cacao.

But this growth has come with some dark truths. Mass production by large corporations to satiate the demand for chocolate in the US, UK, Australia, Europe and Russia has meant cacao plantations across West Africa and around the world have been implicated in human rights abuses such as child and slave labour, whilst also being responsible for heavy degradation of the land and deforestation. Chocolate companies rake in huge profits, concealing supply chains whilst the cacao farmers they exploit generally find themselves living in appalling conditions and in desperate poverty. Our love for chocolate in the developed world has come at a huge cost for people in these less-developed countries - an unsettling narrative underscored by the disconnect geographically, culturally and spiritually we feel between the chocolate we consume, and the cacao plant with which we owe its existence.

Wildcraft Cacao - the ‘Ceremonial Cacao’ we serve which is produced in small batches in Tasmania directly from a group of small family run farms in Peru.

But here at the Nourished Sovereign, we’re on a mission to change that. To reconnect people with cacao, the plant. We’re not talking about serving a hot chocolate, a hot cocoa or cocoa powder, or even a cacao powder. Instead, we are blazing a trail here on the South Coast and living up to our descriptor as a mobile plant tonic bar by serving cacao in its unadulterated form, the same way Indigenous peoples have done for centuries.

‘Ceremonial’ cacao is a modern term, which has been adopted by retailers and which is used generally to differentiate cacao in its pure, unprocessed form from other processed cacao products. Labelling cacao as ‘ceremonial’ is a construct of the West, used in marketing this ancient super-tonic toward health-conscious and spirit-seeking consumers. However, the term ‘ceremonial’ could be considered problematic as there is a lack of evidence suggesting Indigenous cultures in Mesoamerica were holding cacao ceremonies which resemble anything like the myriad of ones on offer today in countries like Australia. There is also no regulation or standardisation set for the use of the term, meaning that so-called ‘ceremonial’ cacao is popping up everywhere as we rediscover the health benefits of this plant. This highlights the importance of using discernment when choosing where we source our cacao and making sure retailers are being honest and authentic and can ‘walk-the-talk’.

I would argue that we have a social responsibility as consumers and retailers to ensure we go beyond ‘fair trade’ (not just with cacao, but with all food) so that farmers and producers at the source are not being exploited. I believe it’s critical that these commercial relationships need to place paramount emphasis on the prosperity and wellbeing of both the land and communities from which the food is sourced. We also have a responsibility to consider and respond to the ethical dilemmas which arise in the context of socio-economics, the environment and human rights when it comes to sourcing our cacao. This comes back to being a ‘conscious consumer’ and using our spending power and privilege wisely, with our moral compass well calibrated.

So, in saying that, what’s all the fuss about ‘ceremonial’ cacao and why is starting to get trendy in the West as we rediscover and acknowledge this traditional plant medicine?

The health benefits of ‘ceremonial’ cacao compared to processed cacao and chocolate products, are astounding. When you go to a cafe and get a hot chocolate, you are most likely getting a cacao powder which is made up of around 75% processed sugar and cacao which has been heated to high temperatures to extract and exclude the natural fats. ‘Ceremonial cacao’, in comparison, is simply the cacao beans which have been fermented, sun-dried and stone ground. Nothing else - just cacao, in the form which Indigenous cultures have used it for thousands of years. Cacao is high in healthy natural fats which, when isolated, take the form of cacao butter. These healthy natural fats though, when kept in the cacao, are what help the body absorb the plethora of beneficial compounds which cacao possess.

Cacao is one of highest plant-based sources of iron. It is also rich in magnesium, zinc and potassium. It is extremely potent in antioxidants - more than tea, coffee or blueberries and it’s stimulating, dopamine promoting effects are down to a compound called theobromine. Theobromine is a cardiovascular stimulant - promoting circulation through opening up the arteries, lowering blood pressure and giving a cleaner energy boost compared to plants such as coffee which are high in the nervous-system stimulant, caffeine. These pronounced health benefits truly make cacao a guilt-free superfood.

Cacao beans after fermentation and sun drying

Cacao is a fantastic choice for supporting overall health and wellness when consumed in it’s traditional, unprocessed form. It is amazing to lean back into these health benefits and share cacao in this way to make it accessible to everyone. I believe that showing people the rich history and telling the cultural stories of our long relationship with cacao, will help deepen their connection with the natural world. This connection could help facilitate consumer choices which are in the best interests of our individual health, the health of our planet and the collective health of our communities across the globe who grow, prepare and use this amazing plant.

So come and try some of our cacao, sourced from the beautiful folks at Wild Craft in Tasmania and you’ll see what all the fuss is about and appreciate the value of learning from ancient wisdom in supporting us toward a balanced and prosperous life.

Andy @ the Nourished Sovereign

More valuable links to delve deeper into cacao:

Big chocolate companies to avoid

Cacao - the food of the Gods

Ethics in the chocolate industry

Wild Craft Cacao - where we source our cacao from in Australia

Soul Lift Cacao (USA) - an incredible example of upholding cacao for modern consumers.