Cacao powder is to cacao what instant coffee is to an espresso - a poor imitation.

Cacao paste contains the whole bean: both the cacao solids and the naturally occurring cacao butter, ground into a smooth, aromatic paste. Nothing added, nothing removed.

Cacao powder is what you get after pressing most of that highly prized cacao butter out. This makes it cheaper to produce, store and transport, but also removes many of the compounds carried by the fat: fat-soluble antioxidants, flavanols, healthy fats like oleic and stearic acid, and the natural “delivery system” that helps your body absorb theobromine and other bioactive compounds.

Most commercial cocoa powders (especially Dutch-processed/alkalised ones) also lose a significant amount of antioxidants during processing - in some studies, up to 60–90%.

So while powder has its place (great for baking and smoothies!) cacao paste is the closest you’ll get to the full chemistry, flavour and richness of the cacao fruit itself.

The use of the word “cacao” vs “cocoa” is inconsistent. The general rule of thumb is that “cacao” should be used when referring to the pods, beans and ground contents of the beans (i.e. the cacao nibs or whole bean cacao paste), and “cocoa” for the powder left after pressing the fat out of the ground beans. Increasingly “cacao” is also used to describe powder that has been processed raw or at a very low temperature. Raw cacao is a healthy supplement, but it does not contain the same psychoactive compounds as whole bean cacao paste, nor does it have the same decadent flavour or texture. Don’t take it from us though! You’ll be able to taste, and feel the difference for yourself.

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..

Soma Cacao contains a modest amount of caffeine compared to coffee. Depending on the origin, a serving of Soma Cacao's ceremonial cacao has between 17 mg and 47.5 mg of caffeine—significantly less than the 120–180 mg typically found in a classic flat white, slightly less than the 60-80 mg found in matcha, and about the same as a cup of green tea. 

This lower caffeine content, combined with higher theobromine levels, offers a smoother, more sustained energy boost. Read more.

Our Daintree and Peruvian. cacaos are made from certified organic cacao beans, so if the certification is important for you, these are your best bet.

Our Solomon Islands origin was certified organic until recently, but the farmers chose not to renew due to the growing cost and complexity of the certification process.

Our Mexican and Karkar Island cacao are also grown without synthetic pesticides and use traditional, sustainable methods - they simply don’t carry formal certification. In many cacao-growing regions, organic certification is extremely bureaucratic, involves large amounts of paperwork, and comes with ongoing fees that smallholder farmers are often expected to shoulder themselves.

This is where the organic system becomes ethically complicated. Certification can create a kind of economic gatekeeping, where only farms with enough money and administrative support can access the label — even if uncertified farms are producing cacao that is equally pure, sustainable, and environmentally respectful. Some agricultural researchers and NGOs have raised concerns that global certification schemes unintentionally reinforce inequality and exclude smaller, rural producers who can’t afford the process.

What matters most to us is how the cacao is actually grown. We work directly with our farmers, visit the farms where possible, and ensure that every batch meets our standards for purity, sustainability, and traditional processing, regardless of whether a third-party label is attached.

So while not every origin carries formal certification, all of them align with the ethos people seek in organic products: clean growing practices, environmental respect, and ethical treatment of farmers.

If the certification is important for you - choose our Daintree or Peruvian.

Please rest assured that all of our cacao is heavy metal safe in accordance with EU, Australian, and US regulations. You can find our latest test results in our recent article: Heavy Metals, Chocolate & Cacao: Weighing in on the Media Frenzy.

It’s important to note that no food can be completely “heavy metal free” due to their natural occurrence in the environment.

Claims promising 100% heavy metal–free cacao are therefore misleading.

Instead, we focus on strict sourcing and rigorous testing protocols to ensure our product not only meets but exceeds safety standards. This way, you can enjoy the benefits and rich taste of our cacao with complete peace of mind.

1. Measure 25-30 grams (2 tablespoons) for a creative boost, or 45 grams (3 tablespoons) for a ceremonial dose.

2. Place in a heat-proof blender with:

• 100 ml hot water (not boiling);
• 50 ml milk (we like oat milk the best)

• sweetener to taste (we use 1-2 teaspoons of coconut sugar or honey)
• optional extras (we like adding cinnamon and sea salt. You can also try ginger, cardamom, vanilla or cayenne pepper).


3. Blend and pour into your favourite mug. Aaaaand enjoy!

NOTE: If you don’t have a heat-proof blender, a hand-held blender (or bar-mix) works very well too.

If you have access to neither, you can simply place the cacao in a mug, add a little hot water, and stir through to melt the cacao into a paste. Gradually add more water and the other ingredients, stirring continuously.  

For more information on preparing your cacao, visit our preparation page.

Because nothing in nature is standardised, and that’s a good thing.

Just like local honey or fine wine, each batch of real cacao has its own personality. Season to season, place to place, ferment to ferment, and roast to roast, cacao evolves.

Cacao grown in the rainy season is often fruitier and more acidic, while dry-season cacao tends to offer deeper chocolate and nutty notes. Even cacao grown on one side of a farm can taste different to cacao grown on the other, due to soil nutrients, shade, temperature, rainfall, and what other trees are nearby.

Then there's fermentation - a symphony of heat, microbes, and wooden boxes - followed by roasting, which either retains fruity and acidic notes or deepens butter and caramel tones. Time in storage rounds out the flavour again, just like wine.

We do our best to keep these fluctuations to a minimum by partnering with outstanding farmers and Australia’s best chocolate makers. But you’ll always taste some variation - that’s how you know it’s the real deal.

And if you've been enjoying another origin for a little while, it may take a few cups to readapt back to your favourite. It's a little like reacquainting yourself with an old friend.

Real cacao changes with the season. That’s one way you know it’s premium.

As arguably the most nutrient-dense, chemically complex food on the planet, cacao has so many health benefits we’ve created a cacao benefits page to tell you all about it. But in short - it’s a mood-lifting, heart-opening, endurance-enhancing, appetite-suppressing superfood with an impressive array of scientifically proven benefits.

Generally, cacao is contraindicated with antidepressants, especially MAOIs and some SSRIs. It may result in a really bad headache, or worse, cause the development of serotonin syndrome which can have severe implications. Cacao paste contains tryptophan and MAO inhibitors that may cause a synergistic intensification when combined with antidepressants.

So it is definitely best to steer clear of cacao while on antidepressants.

These days, a ‘cacao ceremony’ is a broad concept that includes any activity involving cacao combined with intention-setting, personal-development, creative expression, and/or spiritual exploration.  It can be formal or informal, performed alone or in group, in silence or with music, and at any time of day. Refer to our recent blog post on the debates surrounding ceremonial cacao for more information.

We currently do not offer free shipping. While many large retailers often include it as a standard perk, free shipping comes with significant costs that we, as a small business, need to manage. Your support helps us keep our business sustainable and continue offering quality products.

We've written about this more extensively here.

For change-of-mind returns or exchanges, return postage is covered by you.

If we’ve made an error (e.g. sent the wrong item), we cover the return postage.