What actually makes cacao ‘ceremonial’.
The answer isn’t just about flavour or purity - it’s about process, lineage, and the people who have carried this plant with reverence for generations. The term ‘ceremonial’ is a relatively new-age term for certain species or regional cacao plants.
When can we describe cacao as ‘ceremonial’?.
Cacao itself is incredibly diverse. There are many varieties, and through natural cross-pollination these continue to evolve. Even pods growing on the same tree can have different DNA.
Still, when people speak about ceremonial cacao, they often refer to two well-known varieties: Chuncho and Criollo.
Chuncho, sometimes called Mother Cacao, grows at high altitudes in the Peruvian Andes. Its smaller brown pods that have more of a bitter, earthy, and deep flavour profile.
Criollo, also known as Creole or Nativo, grows throughout Central and South America. Its red, orange, and yellow pods tend to offer a softer, smoother flavour that varies subtly by region.
These varieties are considered genetically closest to the cacao that ancient civilisations drank in ritual. Criollo cacao and Chuncho cacao trees are rarer, largely due to their smaller and less stable harvests. Because of this, they have become associated with higher-value or special cacao reinforcing the narrative of ceremonial.
Yet nature is always interweaving. Hummingbirds sip nectar from cacao flowers while insects and other animals move freely between trees, spreading pollen among varieties of Theobroma cacao. Over time, this natural cross pollination has created hundreds of local strains.
Pure Chuncho or Criollo is rare - which raises an interesting question: does this change the meaning of ceremonial?
What does ‘ceremonial cacao’ mean in Peru?
To explore this further, I asked Bruno, a Peruvian friend of Cacao Co. who has spent many years working with cacao farmers and cooperatives. He shared:
“To properly use this term, it is very important to go to the source of the product, ensuring that it has been cultivated organically and as naturally as possible, as well as promoting the well-being of those who work with it. By maintaining a stable relationship with the farmers, we can be certain that it will always retain its ‘ceremonial’ quality.”
Cacao Ritual and Preparation
One definition of ceremonial is something related to, used in, or involving a ceremony - a fixed set of formal acts performed on important social or religious occasions.
For many of us drinking cacao today, it may not be part of a religious act, but rather a small ritual in the rhythm of our day. Simply sitting to sip cacao can be ceremonious in itself.
Ritual transforms everyday experiences into meaningful moments. It offers structure, weaving pauses for reflection and contemplation into what might otherwise be an endless stream of happenings.
These small, intentional acts can become sacred and intimate moments. To me, this is what ceremonial often represents - an invitation to slow down, to reflect, and to approach something with reverence.
This naturally extends to how cacao is prepared. When we prepare something with intention and gratitude, it carries a different energy. There is a reason a home-cooked meal prepared with love often tastes better.
The same can be said for cacao.
A batch brewed with presence - perhaps accompanied by song, joy, or quiet gratitude - often feels and tastes very different from one prepared hurriedly while answering emails or scrolling social media.
The Process
Bruno’s words also invite us to look more closely at the journey cacao takes before it reaches our cup.
I’ve been reading The Yoga of Eating by Charles Eisenstein, and one chapter has stayed with me. In it he writes:
“When you eat something, you eat everything that happened to make that food come into existence. You are affirming a certain version of the world.”
In essence, the food we consume carries the story of its creation within it - its history, its relationships, its conditions.
So naturally, we might want to know that story.
Perhaps the journey itself contributes to what makes cacao ceremonial?
When we return to the idea that ceremony involves intimacy and sacredness, these qualities must also be practiced along the way: through minimal processing, harmony with the land, care for the communities involved, and through respect for the plant itself.
Why organic cacao aligns with our values
This is where the conversation often opens up to organic farming.
Organic certification helps ensure that each step of the journey - growing, harvesting, storing, and transporting - is done without synthetic chemicals, pesticides, or GMOs.
In many certification systems, organic standards also emphasise sustainable farming practices, biodiversity, soil health, and care for the wider ecosystem.
These principles align closely with the values many people associate with ceremonial cacao: respect for the land, the plant, and the communities who cultivate it.
Does cacao have to come from South or Central America to be ceremonial?
Much of cacao’s ceremonial history is rooted in Mesoamerican cultures, where cacao was consumed during rituals, offerings, and sacred gatherings.
It was often associated with the gods of these lands and remains an important part of cultural and spiritual practices for some Indigenous communities today.
However, cacao does not only grow in these regions.
The cacao tree grows throughout tropical areas of the world - including the Caribbean, West Africa, Southeast Asia, India, and even parts of Australia.
Ceremonial: a title shared, not claimed
So who determines whether cacao is ceremonial?
Beyond the species of the plant, there are many factors to consider: intention, growing practices, the land itself, those who grow and cultivate cacao and the cultural lineage surrounding the cacao plant.
There is no single definitive answer. Many people hold their own understanding of what makes something sacred or ceremonious - from where the cacao is grown, to how it is prepared, to the care infused into its journey.
In my view, the story the cacao embarks upon - its cultural heritage, the intention held at each step, and the honouring of the earth it grows within - to the presence within the preparation - all contribute to what makes it ceremonial.
The journey itself becomes the ceremony.
Ensuring the cacao is organic and processed using traditional methods is one way we can honour this sacred plant at every stage of its path.
The term ceremonial is not ours to simply claim. It is something that is earned through the care, relationships, and reverence that carry cacao from tree to cup.
We feel fortunate to be entrusted with this process - working closely with the people whose hands are in the earth, who harvest the pods by hand, and who prepare this sacred drink with intention.
Through this relationship of reciprocity, we honour cacao’s journey - and we are grateful to share it with you.
This is an open conversation and we would love to hear your opinion on what makes cacao ceremonial to you!
