Ceremonial cacao
Before you do anything else, there are a few important health considerations you must know. Please read this great article that highlights all the information needed.
What is ceremonial cacao?
Ceremonial cacao is unlike the normal cacao you would find in the supermarket. It is much less processed as it does not go through the many steps that cacao powder or dark chocolate go through. The process of creating ceremonial cacao it short and simple. The fermented and dried cocoa beans are roasted at the lowest temperature possible, the nibs are removed from their husks and then ground into a paste. The paste is then put into a mould creating a block of ceremonial cacao.
The main purpose of this simple and light way of processing is to allow the cocoa beans to remain in their most natural state, therefore retaining all the amazing nutrients they provide (healthy fats, minerals, antioxidants).
What are the benefits?
A tool to help connect to your heart on an energetic level, as well as to the people around you.
A powerful tool to go deeper in your inner work, whether it’s journaling, manifesting, shamanic journeying or gathering in a women’s circle.
Increases creativity
Provides health benefits as it contains high amounts of plant-based iron, antioxidants, magnesium and calcium.
Ceremonial cacao does not have high levels of caffeine in it but it does have a chemical called theobromine that dilates the cardiovascular system resulting in the opening up of the blood vessels.
My Personal Ceremonial Cacao Recipe
I like my ceremonial cacao to have a thin, milky consistency and here is how I do it.
What you will need:
Hot water at 80 degrees Celcius
Nut milk (I use oat milk)
Ceremonial cacao (see dosage below)
Chopping board & knife
Milk frother
Saucepan
Wooden spoon
Sweetener (I use honey)
A bowl
A Scale
A mug
Instructions (for 1 person):
First decide what dose you want and then calculate how much liquid you will need for your dose. I use 7ml of liquid per 1 gram of cacao. (e.g. if I were to do a light dose of 20g I would use 140ml of liquid)
Start cutting the ceremonial cacao block into a fine powder (you may want to use a blender to speed things up). Weigh your powder to make sure you have the right amount for your dose.
Place the powder into the saucepan and add your hot water. Mix well to create a thick paste.
Turn on stove and add nut milk. The mixture should NEVER boil, so make sure the stove is set at a low setting.
Once the mixture is warm enough you may want to add a sweetener of your choice or maybe you want to keep it nice and bitter. This is up to your preference.
Lastly, if you would like your drink to have a frothy consistency then please use the milk frother to do this.
Then simply poor into your mug and enjoy.
Remember that the hot water and nut milk combined equal the amount of liquid you are using. Therefore is you want your drink to me more milky, make sure you use more nut milk than water.
Ceremonial Cacao recommended doses (per person):
10g: a very light dose, good for those who are highly sensitive to stimulants, pregnant or have health issues that make it hard to process fats
20g: a light dose, good for supporting other practices (meditation, yoga etc) or giving your day a gentle lift; a good ceremonial dose for sensitive people
30g: a medium dose, great if you’re using cacao instead of alcohol or substances on a night out; also good as a lighter ceremonial dose (and ideal for your first time)
40g: a full ceremonial dose, ideal if you want to journey deeply and have drunk cacao before
50–60g: a large dose, only recommended if you want to go very deep or if you know you’re resistant to the effects of cacao
DO NOT consume more that 60g of ceremonial cacao per day.
Doses from Medium.com
Join The Goddess Circle and experience ceremonial cacao
During our Goddess Circle everyone receives a warm cup of ceremonial cacao upon arrival. Join us for our next gathering and experience it for yourself.
With love,
Lucie
(founder of The Goddess Circle)
This blog article is here to introduce you to ceremonial cacao and does not take responsibility for any inaccuracies. Please do more research before trying ceremonial cacao. Consume at your own risk.