#02 • Maca Boost

— Cacao Recipes

Combining cacao’s catalyst ability with the power of Maca.

“For the people of Junin, in Peru, Maca has been a food and a medicine for over 2000 years.” www.rooted-nutrition.com

Considered as a proper plant medicine by the Incans and their actual descendants, this root encapsulates quite some potential. Loaded with nutritients and multiple precious active compounds, it maries interestingly with cacao’s catalyst ability.

Indeed, the fat contained in cacao beans acts as the perfect carrier for any nutrient available in your drink. Plus the vasodilatation and blood flow increase generated by the intake of theobromine (cacao’s main active compound) simply enhance our bodies’ capacity to assimilate those nutrients.

A perfect combination.

Many researchs have been conducted around maca’s impressive range of health benefits. I personally want to recommend one of the sources I find particularly relevant in the midst of all the content available online, but will leave you up to your own research to find what you’re looking for, as I’m nowhere near an expert of maca.
I just love its effects, how nutritious it is, and to play around its rather singular taste in order to come up with a good recipe.

One thing I’ll do mention is the importance of considering buying « activated » or « gelatinized » maca powder (complicated ways to say « pre-cooked ») over raw powder. This root has been and is still to this day traditionally consumed cooked or boiled, never raw. This makes a huge difference on the bioavailability of its compounds, as well as on assimilation.

Now, onto the recipe!

Ingredients for 1 cup of Maca Boost Cacao

–15-20g de votre cacao préféré,

– 250ml d’eau et/ou de lait d’avoine,

– 1 tsp of gelatinized maca powder,

– 1 tsp of maple syrup,

– 3 dashes of powdered ginger,

– 1 dash of cinnamon (optional).

Préparation

Remplissez votre tasse préféréz et versez-la dans une casserole. Je compte généralement ¾ d'eau pour ¼ de lait d'avoine.
Cover your pan and heat up the liquid. Stop before boiling point.
Add the maca, spices, cacao and maple syrup
Simply whip/froth your drink and you’re good to go !

For this recipe, I particularly like using a cacao that harbors a tangy profile, with a little acidity as it is pleasantly balanced by the nutty aromas of maca! My personnal pick are often Pure Kakaw’s Cusco (which helps keeping up the Peruvian vibe), Ora Cacao’s Thriving Tanzania or Herbal Cacao’s Natural Belize.

If you’d like to try their cacaos, don’t forget to use our code CACAOINSIGHTS at checkout and get 10% off your first order 🙂

Astuce : You might want to adjust the quantity of maca in your first tries as its taste is really potent. If 1 tsp is too much, try with ½ and work your way up :).