Such a pleasant tasting Maca powder, I'm loving incorporating into my foods
I researched for a very long time after my supplier started charging huge amounts for shipping. I went back and forth and finally landed here. I got the taster pack and have loved the Peruvian and Mexican blends the most (am rebuying) and thoroughly enjoyed trying the others. A wonderful business that is easy to deal with, order from and has very high quality ingredients. Thank you!!!
So far I’ve really enjoyed all the cacao and it’s helped me look forward to getting out of bed in the morning. I like all of the three types and have been rotating them so it’s fun to take note of the flavour differences.
Soma Cacao (Karkar Island) is amazing. Im a convert to a daily cup. It’s reduced the number of coffees I’m having daily and I get through the day and after-meal food coma much better than before.
This is so nice, great taste
I so look forward to this every morning.
Helps do much with my arthritis in my feet. If I go to many days without it I find it really hard to walk.
I would not be without it ❤️
I've just received my second order of Daintree ceremonial cacao. I'm so happy with it, I wish I ordered more this time around. I love the feeling of drinking cacao that's grown in Queensland. There's less miles travelled for the product and I love that I'm supporting a local Australian grower. The flavour is amazing, and it really smooth to drink.
Rachelle
I wasn't sure which one to go for so ended up with the small (85g) packs for Karkar Island and Peruvian blends. I find Karkar Island is the better tasting one to me, will be ordering the big packet for that one. It's a very satisfying treat and I can't wait to see the health benefits!
Lovely alternative to coffee. I make mine in a saucepan of whole goats milk with a sprinkle of organic cayenne. A smooth, bold and savoury start to each day.
Yummy, uplifting! Tastes great added to any of my warm cups of cacao.
Loved this product. So easy to make and the taste is wonderful - I’m using it as a mid-afternoon drink to stave off that slump and sugar craving time.
Will definitely purchase more.
I’m loving it, 50:50 water and soy with a teaspoon of local honey.
Sleeping like a baby!
Soma Cacao is pure lush. It’s rich, smooth, and makes slowing down feel so easy. It's my new fave self-love ritual!
We have been moving through each pack slowly to get a feel for each variety. The cacao is truly remarkable, I've never tasted anything so soothing, rich and decadent. The tasting packs are a fantastic way to explore the range. Highly recommended!
Sometimes you just connect. You sip …and taste something so delicious, it needs little additions. And, your life changes forever. That’s what happened for me when I tried the delicious silky Soma cacao. Thank you 😊
Love the Daintree cacao. I add fresh ginger and it blends so well.
I have started using this cacao as part of my nighttime routine and it has helped improve my sleep
I decided to try this since I was looking for an alternative as a "reward" drink for the end of the workday... trying to cut back on alcohol, and the 0% stuff wasn't doing it for me. I wanted something that actually felt luxurious and indulgent. Soma cacao fit the bill wonderfully. Now my husband really loves it too, and we have a little ritual of each of us having a little cup before bedtime (it relaxes / calms rather than acting like caffeine; but then again we have non-standard reactions to caffeine like a lot of ADHD folk - IYKYK).
It was really fun going through the pack to figure out our favourites, they're all so different! The variety in tastes is also very welcome in our household since sometimes it's a Mexican day, sometimes it's a Peruvian one. If you're on the fence... I know it's expensive, but it's worth it.
I got the 3 x 85g starter pack, to try as a replacement for my morning coffee. It worked out to $49 including discounts and shipping, or around $5 per 25g serve (closer to $3.50 per serve when bought in bulk). Comparing this to coffee, I can get a kilo of high-quality fairtrade coffee beans for $50 and make an espresso at home for under $1. This could potentially become cost prohibitive for those looking to replace one or more coffees per day.
As far as the effects go, it's fairly similar to a weak coffee, which makes sense as the cocao has about half the caffeine (42.5mg) of a typical espresso (~80mg). I didn't find that the 250mg theobromine resulted in any noticeable long-lasting energy or focus, it was still very obvious that the caffeine and sugar were wearing off over the course of an hour or two. Taste-wise, the Daintree and Karkar Island were quite nice, with a similar taste to cocoa powder, though personally I still much prefer the taste of coffee. But the Solomon Island was genuinely undrinkable – what was described as 'tobacco notes' actually tasted like I'd just emptied an entire pouch of tobacco into my mouth. Suffice to say this one went straight in the bin.
Finally, it's worth addressing the health claims made about the other compounds present in cocao, particularly the idea that the phenylethylamine (PEA) and anandamide (the so-called "bliss molecule") present in raw cocao have mood-boosting properties. Even the sources Soma themselves cite to simply don't support this position. In one article they cite to a review (Nehlig, 2013) that actually states that concentrations of biogenic amines such phenylethylamine in cocao "are irrelevant in healthy subjects".
Many of the health claims relate to how supposedly dangerous caffeine is, specifically citing cardiovascular health, sleep quality and fertility as areas of concern. However, even if you accept these risks are real and outweight the well-documented health benefits of caffeine, it would then follow you'd also have to avoid Soma's products, since – and this bears repeating – raw cocao also contains a substantial amount of caffeine.
So yeah, it's worth a try if you're looking for a coffee alternative and don't mind taking up a more expensive habit. But you should be aware some of the health claims made about raw cocao are, in my opinion, exaggerated and potentially misleading.
Hi Dane,
Thanks very much for taking the time to share such a detailed and thoughtful review. Though I'm particularly saddened that our health claims and it seems our brand in general have left a bad taste in your mouth.
I'd like to try to address your various concerns in turn:
1. You're right that ceremonial cacao can work out to be more expensive than coffee, especially when comparing home espresso to single serves of cacao. Part of the difference comes down to the sourcing and processing. We work directly with small-scale farmers using traditional fermentation and sun-drying methods, cacao harvesting is EXTREMELY labour intensive, moreso than coffee. Cheap cacao products are out there - because the industry is rife with corruption. We of course understand that price is a real consideration. But we would argue it is entirely worth it given you're not just getting a caffeine hit - but a combination of essential minerals, and antioxidants as well - it packs a lot more punch than a cup of coffee from a nutritional stand point.
2. In terms of the effects, yes exactly - cacao has a much gentler stimulant profile compared to coffee. For some people, the combination of theobromine and caffeine offers a smoother, longer-lasting lift; for others, especially if they're used to higher caffeine doses, it can feel milder (or if you're really over-stimulated - you can almost feel nothing at all). We never claim that it mimics the sharp jolt of espresso, but to offer a different kind of support — more steady and subtle. For me personally, I'd rather feel calm and at easy than have that jolt of caffeine feeling - but that's a personal preference.
And yes, you're completely correct that cacao also contains caffeine (and we highly that on our website). For people looking to avoid caffeine altogether, we wouldn’t recommend ceremonial cacao - it’s more suited to those wanting to reduce their intake, not eliminate it.
3. Regarding the Solomon Islands cacao, thanks for your honest feedback there too. The “tobacco notes” are naturally occurring from the terroir and fermentation, and we know it’s not for everyone. Some people love its boldness, others (like yourself) find it overwhelming. Taste is very personal. We try to make it very clear that the Solomons is SMOKY, and won't be for everyone. We're not trying to choose cacaos that will be right for everyone - that's part of the fun. We've chosen 5 unique, exciting origins, that are also doing good things for the cacao industry and the communities involved.
4. On the health claims... it’s true that isolated compounds like PEA and anandamide in cacao aren’t present in large enough quantities to be SOLELY responsible for the mood effects. However, it's overly simplistic and frankly incorrect to dismiss their role altogether. Research (including Nehlig 2013 that you mention) points out that the effects of cacao are more likely the result of a complex synergy between multiple bioactive compounds, rather than one molecule acting in isolation. Cacao also affects endocannabinoid metabolism and nitric oxide pathways, which can contribute to the uplifting experience many people report - even if it's difficult to reduce this to a single molecule or mechanism. We're careful not to make exaggerated claims, but there’s a growing body of evidence that cacao as a whole food does have meaningful physiological effects.
Anyway - people who choose to come back again and again and again to Soma are doing so predominantly for their personal experience than just reading that it's good for you (if we did things just because we know it's good for us we'd all be alot healthier!!). People predominantly drink Soma because they love the taste, the experience, and... it makes them feel good.
Thanks again for giving Soma a try. I do repect the thoughtful way you engaged with it and the information we provide as well. If you ever have more feedback, questions, or even just want to chat cacao, feel free to reach out - you can email me directly at rose@somacacao.com.au.
Kind regards,
Rose Cousens | Founder | Soma Cacao Australia
The nicest tasting Cacoa I have ever had tried them all now and all are my favourites
This is the best one. If you melt it and put it into an ice chocolate it is the richest most pleasant tasting ice chocolate you could ever imagine. If you drink it straight as a hot chocolate, it doesn't have any weird dirt/earthy taste, just strong dark chocolate. This is the winner for me.
Definitely prefer the daintree cacao, that one I can recommend. The Karkar Island one smells like murky, dirty water compared to the daintree cacao. Thought it might be even tastier than the daintree one since it's the most popular. I was wrong. I've tried contacting support to see if they will swap it but I've heard nothing yet.
Hi Brittany,
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback here as well as via email.
It's so very interesting how everyone's preferences differ when it comes to our cacao (and we believe it's part of the fun :)). It's also why we always strongly recommend everyone tries an 85g bag of any origin before diving into a 500g, to help eliminate wasting the precious cacao (and money). So thankfully your review will be a good reminder for anyone trying Soma for the first time - PLEASE start with the starter packs :)
As per your email trail with Sophie, we've agreed to swap your Karkar Island Cacao with Daintree - and Sophie has even arranged for us to cover the postage for you.
Thanks for your continued support of Soma. (And Daintree is my personal favourite, along with the Mexican, so I totally understand your love affair with the home grown!)
Thanks and happy Cacao-ing,
Rose
Purchased the starter pack and have only tried 2 so far. Enjoying the soothing taste. Highly recommend. Will be a returning customer for sure.
It's a little expensive but such a delightful guilt free treat! I also use it in bliss balls with cashews, dates and honey. So yummy
Smooth and fragrant. I have mine with coconut sugar, a pinch of salt and a pinch of nutmeg. My morning mug of happiness.