Solomon Islands Ceremonial Cacao
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We are thrilled to announce the first of our two new origins: Solomon Islands Cacao!
This cacao is:
- Single Origin
- Certified Organic
- Certified Kosher
- Antioxidant-Rich (eight times more antioxidants than spinach)
- 100% Traceable & Sustainably Grown
- International Award-Winning
Unique Flavour: This cacao has a distinctly smoky, toasty, rich, dry-almond-like flavour and scent. Think: Russian Caravan Tea. Ideal for the refined palate, it's a favourite among coffee lovers. (If you're expecting a standard chocolate flavour, think again! Keep an open mind and let the sensory explosion settle in!)
Social Responsibility: We partner with a Cacao Social Enterprise that collaborates directly with Solomon Islands farmers, enhancing cacao quality and farmers' quality of life. Farmers receive technical advice, financial support, and are paid above Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance standards.
Pure Ecosystem: These beans are organically grown in one of the purest ecosystems on earth, in tropical paradise, using traditional methods passed down through generations of Solomon Islanders.
Premium Quality: This cacao recently won two stars at the Great Taste Awards in the UK, a recognition for products that are considered “outstanding” and “above-and-beyond delicious”. This is one of many of the awards it has won, in its chocolate form.
Like fine wine and coffee, the quality of cacao varies according to the soil, climate, genetics, and post-harvest processes. Our commitment to single origin cacao ensures the unique flavour profile of each region remains intact.
Cacao Contains Caffeine: Soma Cacao contains between 17 - 45mg caffeine per standard 25g serve (the equivalent of a cup of weak black tea). For more info, visit this page.
Allergen Declaration: This product may contain traces of nuts, soy, and dairy as it is processed in facilities that also handles these allergens.
Note: There's a small chance your cacao may melt during transit. Rest assured, it's still perfectly fine—just let it solidify at room temperature (or in the fridge if it's hot) and chop it up. Many brands sell cacao this way; we simply shave it for your convenience. :)
The Mayans called cacao “the food of the gods”. Along with its rich history of ritualistic and medicinal use, cacao’s crown jewel is theobromine: a gentle, long lasting stimulant that energises us like caffeine, without punishing us with brain-fog and jittery hands later in the day. It’s also rich in essential minerals and produces mood-boosting bioactive compounds - dopamine, serotonin, anandamide (the 'bliss molecule') and P.E.A, an antidepressant also known as the 'love drug'.
For more health benefits including scientific sources, visit our cacao benefits page.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2-3 Tbs Soma Cacao
- 110 mL hot water
- 50 mL milk (we like oat milk)
- 1-2 tsps sweetener (honey, coconut sugar, or maple syrup work great)
METHOD:
Blend all ingredients together using a blender, milk-frother, or whisk. Inhale, sip slowly, and savour!
Cacao powder (or cocoa powder) has undergone intensive processing to extract cacao butter from the paste. This leaves the cacao chalkier and more insipid, and also reduces the fat content, which is vital for the transmission of the neuro-active substances. Studies have proven the widely used method to produce cocoa powder (dutch-processing) significantly decreases the levels of compounds with positive physiological effects.
Our cacao contains the entire cacao bean (excluding the husk/shell). We add nothing, we take nothing away, maintaining the highest concentration of antioxidants, essential minerals, and bliss-inducing compounds.
As an energy source cacao feels more gentle, long-lasting and smooth, while coffee is intense, fast-acting and short-lived. This is because caffeine is a nervous system stimulant, and it produces cortisol, the stress hormone, which can lead to the jitters and anxiety. By contrast, cacao's active ingredient, theobromine, reduces cortisol. This helps us to relax. Cacao also stimulates the cardiovascular system, and opens our blood vessels. This helps blood flow more freely, sends more oxygen through the body, and lowers our blood pressure. We’ve elaborated on this in a recent blog post.
Ceremonial Cacao refers to a premium, pure cacao that is ethically sourced from small family-run sustainable farms.
Ceremonial cacao is made from a single ingredient, whole cacao beans, with nothing added or removed. This is what distinguishes is from cacao powder: a product that has the highly prized cacao butter removed.
Our cacao is minimally processed to retain the highest concentration of antioxidants, bliss-inducing compounds and essential minerals.
Our sourcing methods disrupt the commodity cacao supply chain, which notoriously cuts corners and is notoriously corrupt.