Chaka Cacao — Ceremonial-Grade Cacao

Ceremonial cacao is pure cacao: the whole bean, fermented, sun-dried and stone ground into a paste you drink rather than eat. Nothing is pressed out and nothing is added, so the cup holds the complete bean, cacao butter included. Chaka's ceremonial cacao comes as discs of 100 percent cacao paste from two origins, Arhuaco communities in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia and Criollo cacao from smallholder farms in Satipo, Peru. Both are fermented at origin and stone ground in small batches. The discs melt straight into hot water or milk, so there is nothing to chop or grate, and a 1 lb bag makes about 25 to 30 cups.

Which Chaka cacao to start with

Start with the Colombian cacao: bright, with cherry, citrus and floral notes, for a morning that wants lift. The Peruvian cacao, where Chaka Cacao began, is earthy and grounding. Neither is a higher grade. They are two characters from two places.

Tested lots, and the EU cadmium limit

Every batch we sell is tested. The European Union caps cadmium at 0.80 mg per kg for chocolate with 50 percent or more total dry cocoa solids under Regulation (EU) 2023/915. Our most recent Peru lot was tested by ICP-MS and cadmium was not detected. Our two Colombia lots on sale now returned cadmium within specification.

How to prepare it

Heat water or milk without boiling it, add about five discs and stir into a smooth cacao drink. A wide ceremonial cacao mug gives the foam room, and an electric cacao frother makes it frothy in seconds.

Questions people ask before they buy

What makes cacao ceremonial grade?

Nothing official: no regulator defines the phrase, so it means only what a brand promises. At Chaka, ceremonial grade cacao means single origin, fermented at origin, stone ground whole bean and 100 percent cacao, with nothing added or removed, made in small batches.

Does ceremonial cacao give you a buzz?

Cacao contains theobromine and a little caffeine. USDA FoodData Central lists unsweetened baking chocolate, which is 100 percent cacao, at about 1,300 mg of theobromine and 80 mg of caffeine per 100 g. How much ends up in your cup depends on how many discs you use.

What's the difference between cacao and ceremonial cacao?

Cacao is the plant and its beans. Ceremonial cacao is a way of preparing them as drinking cacao: the whole bean, fermented, sun-dried and stone ground into a paste you drink, with nothing removed or added. Cocoa powder is the same bean with most of its fat pressed out.

What is cacao paste?

Cacao paste, also called cacao mass, is fermented, dried cacao beans ground until their own butter melts the solids into a smooth paste, which sets into blocks or discs. Nothing is separated out, so it is 100 percent cacao. Chaka's ceremonial cacao is paste in discs.

Is it okay to drink ceremonial cacao every day?

Many people make it a daily morning ritual; others keep it to a few mornings a week. At about five discs a cup, a 1 lb bag makes about 25 to 30 cups and a 1/2 lb bag about 12 to 15. Start with a smaller cup and let your own experience set the pace.

How much ceremonial cacao should I use per cup?

About five discs in a cup of hot water or milk, stirred until blended, is our everyday serving. Use a little less for a first cup and a little more for a fuller ceremonial serving, and add cinnamon or a pinch of salt if you like.

Discover Why So Many People Globally Love Ceremonial Cacao

  • Woman holding a cup of Chaka ceremonial cacao in her kitchen

    Chrissy H.

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    "I realized I was way too dependent on coffee just to feel normal in the morning. I loved the ritual but didn't love the jitters or the crash an hour later. I kept hearing about ceremonial cacao and honestly I thought it was just chocolate powder. It's not."

  • Woman smiling with a mug of Chaka ceremonial cacao

    Nicole M.

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    "What surprised me most is how it feels. The energy is really even and clear. I don't get that jittery overstimulated feeling I sometimes get from coffee. It's more like a calm focus and just a subtle sense of well-being."

  • Woman in her kitchen with a mug and a bag of Chaka ceremonial cacao

    Samantha U.

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    "I realized no matter how much I loved coffee, I hated how I felt an hour later. And this ceremonial cacao is the best thing I found and the first thing I've been drinking in the morning."