Chocolate is made from cacao beans from the Theobroma cacao, also called the cocoa tree, which produces pod-like fruits. Each plant contains 20 to 60 beans.
Cacao is considered a superfood and has more antioxidants than blueberries.
Cacao was cultivated by the Mayans more than 1,500 years ago and it’s packed with flavonoids and nutrients that have been shown to help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to the brain and heart and prevent blood clots. The flavonoids in cacao powder may help increase insulin sensitivity, reducing your risk of diabetes. Cacao is considered a superfood and has more antioxidants than blueberries.
Try Priya’s recipe for Easy Coconut Cacao Balls
Cacao is used to make teas and beverages, as well as delicious chocolate desserts. It is also revered by South Americans for its virtues as a plant medicine. Emily Weer, a Truckee-based massage therapist, yoga instructor, sound healer and tantra teacher, is a proponent of the virtues of cacao. She not only brews cacao beverages, but she also makes cacao desserts and hosts cacao ceremonies. At a recent baby blessing, she arrived with a large jar of warm, delicious cacao.
The plant has a property called theobromine. According to Weer, it is the compound that activates the heart, both on a physical and energetic level. She uses it as an alternative to coffee. In addition to making beverages and cacao balls, Weer uses them for ceremonial purposes.
“My relationship with cacao is in a ceremonial sense. It helps my heart’s energy to open and feel connected to myself and others while awakening my consciousness. Raw cacao has a bitterness to it and that bitterness is what cracks open the heart, she says. “The bitterness is where the medicine lies.”
Weer says that it’s important when hosting a cacao ceremony to engage the senses. She suggests gathering in a circle and sitting in a comfortable seated position. She gives participants a piece of ceremonial cacao to hold at their heart to engage the five senses.
“The first step is to awaken your senses to all the aspects of the plant: its smelling, its feeling, its tasting. And slowly touching it onto your mouth and taking in the flavors as a way of awakening your senses. Setting intentions when you take the cacao is important. I believe the medicine carries energy and when invoked helps manifest your intentions,” she says.
Weer starts the ceremony with a moment of silence and asks participants to set an intention as to what they would like to call in their life. She plays soft music or sings a song. Each person in the circle is given an opportunity to share her or his intention. A ceremonial cacao beverage is poured for each participant. As participants drink the beverage, Weer asks them again to engage the senses and visualize their intentions. She closes the circle with a meditation. Weer recommends playing music from the Yaima Music Project.
Whether you make delicious food with cacao or use it for ceremonial purposes, the power of cacao is intriguing.
Ceremonial Cacao Beverage
From the kitchen of Emily Weer
4 T cacao, chopped into small pieces
3-5 dates, soaked in water for at least an hour
1 t cinnamon
1 t cardamon
1 t ginger
2 t coconut oil, melted
2 C Tulsi rose tea or nut milk (Weer uses coconut milk)
A pinch of Himalayan Sea salt
A pinch of cayenne pepper
Blend ingredients in a blender and warm in a pot on the stove. Add nut milk and sweetener if desired.
