Home • Cacao • Origin Cacao • What is Origin Cacao?
WHAT IS
ORIGIN CACAO?
WHAT IS
ORIGIN CACAO?
CONTENTS
For millenia, many cultures from South and Central America consumed cacao in various ways, for different purposes.
Through this article, our aim is to offer a clear and relevant explanation of what Origin Cacao is and refers to—grounded in well-sourced data and widely accepted facts.
INTRODUCTION & QUICK DEFINITION
This article covers historical and technical aspects of the pure cacao paste originally destined to be turned into a drink. For more information about the beverage itself, check out What is a cacao drink?
Put simply, Origin Cacao is pure cacao paste made of single-origin high-grade cacao beans through a minimalist, artisanal and/or traditional process.
It is intended to be dissolved, frothed and consumed as a water-based drink in its purest form, although, as it was enjoyed long before chocolate was a thing, the variety of additives and recipes prepared from this base is quite astounding.
Now let’s get specific and cover the most important aspects of Origin Cacao. Starting by discussing its origins and heritage, then focusing on its composition and making processes.
After narrowing down on the nature of it, we’ll zoom-in on the fine line where it sits—between functional food, specialty drink and proper medicine.
ORIGINS & HERITAGE
Let’s start by introducing the broad context into which cacao evolved.
So far, research tells us that the cacao tree originates from the Upper Amazon basin, somewhere between actual Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.¹·²
From there it spread, probably through trade with the help of early Southern American indigenous people, across the Andes and into Central America.
It is still hard for scientists to establish a precise time and place for the start of its domestication & cultivation. The latest research available indicates a correlation with its first use as a drink that is, for now, traced back to at least 5300 years ago by a civilization called the Mayo-Chinchipe.³
Many civilizations—like the Olmecs, the Incas, the Mexicas (Aztecs) or the Mayas, to name a few—are known to have consumed and cherished cacao. Among other things, they used the beans to prepare a pure paste and turned it into pure cacao drinks held in high regard, if not considered sacred. Terms like kakawa (Olmec) and xocolatl (Aztec) are often used to refer to these cacao-based drinks, but they only hint at a much broader and diverse tradition of preparations that existed across regions and cultures.
These cultures recognized the profound richness of cacao, honoring it for both its spiritual significance and its powerful nutritional properties. This knowledge has been passed on through generations, in the form of countless stories, beliefs, recipes, rituals etc…
Cacao then reached all places of the world because of colonization.
From there it didn’t take long before it was turned into chocolate as we know it, overshadowing its original form.
Despite the massive shade generated by colonialism, mass consumption and industrial production, original knowledge was kept afloat and managed to spread these last few years like a wave of authenticity.
The term ceremonial cacao, coined by Keith Wilson in the early 2000s, emerged from the Guatemalean jungle and gradually spread internationally—primarily to designate a ritual beverage used to support various spiritual and personal practices. In contrast, Origin Cacao also refers to pure cacao paste, but shifts the focus toward product quality, highlighting factors such as genetic variations (or varieties so to say), terroir, agroforestry, farming and artisanal processing methods.
For more discussion on cacao’s journey, see History & Chronology.
Authentic cacao has come a long way.
Its purposeful consumption was and still is linked to an important cultural heritage. As consumers and actors of the industry, it is therefore our responsibility to improve the consideration we have for it—one of the many needed steps being facilitating access to such information.
On a personal note, being aware of such realities helps us appreciate what is shared with us and motivates us to properly support the people involved.
Choosing Origin Cacao therefore means:
• Giving visibility to a part of South and Central American heritage,
• Championing smallholder farms and farmers-led cooperatives,
• Valuing ancient know-how,
• Advocating for a shift in cacao’s narrative of a mere commodity,
• Appreciating cacao’s diversity and complexity.
On a larger scale, it is about getting to know the full scope of a story in order to make better informed decisions. And it goes beyond what we eat or drink. Making such choices is not only about restoring a sense of equilibrium in the realms of trade and consideration but is also about popularizing access to exceptional flavors, aromas and health benefits as we’ll explain it in the coming paragraphs.
COMPOSITION & MAKING PROCESS
It usually comes in the shape of blocks, discs or pre-chopped into flakes.
ITS MAKING PROCESS IS COMPLEX AND REQUIRES TIME AND ABILITY TO BE PERFORMED PROPERLY.
Yet, when done right, it gives way to a cacao expressing incredible flavors and aromas, going far beyond the standardized “chocolate taste”.
IT STARTS FROM A TREE.
A special tree whose fingernail-sized flowers end up carrying oversized fruits directly from the trunk or the basis of its biggest branches to support the load.
Once cacao pods are harvested, which usually happens twice a year, they are cut open the same day and the seeds—or cacao beans—are extracted. They come into a juicy white flesh which flavor resembles of a mix between lychee and pineapple.
BEANS WILL FERMENT THANKS TO THE PULP’S SUGARS.
Fermentation is a very important stage of the process, as it:
• develops the most interesting aromas the beans are hiding,
• reveal some of ot their most important active compounds,
• makes them edible by breaking down the germ and other harmful compounds that most seeds carry.
BEANS ARE STORED IN WOODEN BOXES TO FERMENT AROUND 2 TO 6 DAYS DEPENDING ON THE CACAO GENETICS.
They are turned every other day to ensure a uniform fermentation.
After that, beans are dried to prevent them from molding, spread out
in the sun or under roofs on drying tables to protect them from rain and potential intrants.
THE LAST STEP BEFORE GRINDING BEANS INTO A PASTE IS PROBABLY THE ONE HOLDING THE MOST SIGNIFICANCE: ROASTING.
the cooperative, where ancient knowledge lies. It takes a certain level of mastery to bring out the beans’ aromas and trigger the formation of new active compounds, all while maintaining low enough temperatures to preserve them as well as other beneficial elements.
FROM THERE, BEANS ARE WINNOWED OR HAND-PEELED AND THEIR HUSKS REMOVED BEFORE BEING CRUSHED INTO NIBS, THEN INTO PASTE.
AND THERE WE HAVE IT, PURE ORIGIN CACAO.
A FUNCTIONAL FOOD, SPECIALTY DRINK AND PROPER MEDICINE
This paragraph touches on the main benefits associated to the consumption of Origin Cacao. A detailed version is available in this article: Health Benefits & Effects.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, CACAO IS A MILD STIMULANT WHICH PROVIDES A SOFT YET SUSTAINED ENERGY.
A mix of active compounds, mainly composed of theobromine (which is to cacao what caffein is to coffee) and small shares of theophylline and caffein, are responsible for this specific effect.³
On the nutrients side, cacao is naturally rich in antioxydants (flavanols) and minerals, magnesium especially as it is one of its largest food source.
It is also packed with compounds responsible for triggering the secretion of mood-enhancing hormones such as dopamine, serotonine and more.
Last but not least, cacao beans contain a healthy fat, known as cacao butter, which acts as a vehicle for nutrients and compounds and is responsible for their good absorption and assimilation.
A WELL-BALANCED COCKTAIL THAT EASILY EXPLAINS WHY CACAO FALLS UNDER THE "SUPERFOOD" CATEGORY.
In short:
– Magnesium is essential for energy production and supports heart and brain function as well as muscle relaxation,
– Antioxydants scavenge free radicals from the body cells and reduce damage caused by oxidation,
– Mood-enhancing hormones play an essential role in balancing stress and anxiety,
– Healthy fats are essential for our body to function, increase nutrients assimilation and regulate so-called “bad” cholesterol.
Now take all these benefits and associate them with theobromine which, rather than overstimulating the central nervous system like caffein does (making one all jittery), directs its effect on the cardiovascular system.
It quite literally activates the pump by dilatating blood vessels and increasing blood flow, resulting in a higher amount of oxygen circulating in our system and a greater assimilation of the nutrients mentioned above.
THIS WHOLE SYNERGY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE APPEASING YET ENGAGING EFFECT THAT IS TYPICAL TO CACAO.
Something that is often describe as mood-enhancing, supplying sustainable energy while supporting authentic connections and creativity. It’s also the reason for how cacao was and is still considered: a potent yet gentle medicine which may support us in different contexts.
ORIGIN CACAO IS THEN MUCH MORE THAN A TREAT, IT IS A PROPER EXPERIENCE.
SOURCES
REFERENCES
- Motamayor, J., Risterucci, A., Lopez, P. et al. Cacao domestication I: the origin of the cacao cultivated by the Mayas. Heredity 89, 380–386 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.hdy.6800156
- Lanaud, C., Vignes, H., Utge, J. et al. A revisited history of cacao domestication in pre-Columbian times revealed by archaeogenomic approaches. Sci Rep 14, 2972 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53010-6
- Zarrillo, Sonia, et al. “The Use and Domestication of Theobroma cacao during the Mid-Holocene in the Upper Amazon.” Nature Ecology & Evolution, vol. 2, 2018, pp. 1879–1888. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-018-0697-x
BACKGROUND MATERIAL
• Patchett, Marcos. The Secret Life of Chocolate. London: Aeon Books, 2020. ISBN 978‑1‑911597‑06‑3.
• Cameron L. McNeil, ed., Chocolate in Mesoamerica: A Cultural History of Cacao, Maya Studies. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2006. ISBN 9780813033822.
• Coe, Sophie D., and Michael D. Coe. The True History of Chocolate. 3rd ed. London: Thames & Hudson, 2013. ISBN 978‑0‑500‑29068‑2.
• Richard Tango-Lowy and Donna McLintock (2022) “Geological and Early Human Influences on Cacao Flavor” Heirloom Cacao
Preservation
