It’s sourced from Peru.

Known as the food of the gods. Cacao is technically a fruit that grows in pods and has two edible parts: the seeds (or beans) and the fruit.

Ceremonial-grade paste is made by fermenting and lightly toasting or sun-drying the beans, then peeling the husks (usually by hand) and stone-grinding them down to create a paste which is set into a block — nothing added, nothing removed. 

The bean’s fat remains intact, helping to balance its stimulating properties and facilitate absorption over a longer period of time.

Cacao has been utilised in its pure form by meso American civilisations for thousands of years in ceremony and celebration. It’s known for its healing properties and as a sacred plant medicine. 

Ceremonial cacao paste is a tool to really support us to remember true connection and to remind us of who we truly are.

Our cacao is grown in its original habitat using sustainable farming practices and promoting favourable living conditions for farmers and their families. This cacao is cultivated in the original landscape of Mesoamerican civilizations and can be used in contemporary cacao ceremonies.

There is a little bit of confusion amongst cacao communities about what source is the best source. Some companies argue their strain is better then other strains which is not necessarily correct.

Here is  a bit of a breakdown for you.

Wild and native strains of cacao have been found in the south and south-east areas of Perú, between rivers Huallaga, Ucayali and Urubamba. In this same region different types of fruits similar to variety Criollo, also called “Criollo de Montaña” (mountain Criollo), o “Amelonados” (melon-like), also the National Variety found in Ecuador, and other types of “amelonados”. 

The consumption of these strains of cacao has been documented back to 4000 BC along the coast of Southeast Mexico in the state of Chiapas and Tabasco (Comalcalco) and also of Guatemala and the South and Southeast zones of Peru. 

This is a geographical area that was home to cultures such as Olmecs, Mixe and Zoque cultures, and later Mayan, Inca, Moche, Nasca. But Criollo is not the only original variety of ancient cacao. There are others, such as Chuncho as well as the others mentioned as Nacional, Amelonados.

Both Criollo as well as Chuncho are native to Peru. Neither is better than the other. Both are true native cacao, and thus they can be used in modern day Cacao Ceremonies.

For cacao to be classed as ceremonial cacao there are a few things that need to be considered:

1. The cacao needs to be a pure form of unadulterated cacao, sourced from the mesoamerican region. 

2. The cacao should be grown using sustainable farming practices and promotes favourable life conditions for farmers and their families.

3. The country of origin should be in the geographical area of the ancient mesoamerican civilisations (ie. Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico).

4. The cacao should preferably be Criollo Cacao, the native strain of Criollo or chuncho.

5. Being a sacred plant, the spiritual energy of the bean starts with the cultivation of the pod and positive energy present from the cacao plant to the final product.

I fit into all of these categories 🙂 

Cacao truly is the most precious superfood in the world. 

I am full of soooo many health benefits. That’s why I am known as your friend with benefits. 

• I am high in antioxidants and minerals such as iron, magnesium, calcium and I am also rich in Theobromine. Theobromine acts as a cardiovascular stimulant (as opposed to a central nervous system stimulant) 
• I can also help with stress, depression, blood pressure and heart health. 
• I’m so great for keeping your vibes and mood high. I actually contain a neurotransmitter called Anandamide (which in sanskrit literally means BLISS). So inside of your cup of FC each morning you’re getting a beautiful hit of BLISS via this potent neurotransmitter! (cool right?!?!) 
• I also contain SEROTONIN which is the happy chemical in your brain PLUS I support your body in its natural production of serotonin. Which basically means that by drinking me you have more capacity to support YOU in managing stress and uplifting your mood.
• There is a molecule in me called PEA (phenylethylamine.. big word I know) which is another neurotransmitter that is naturally produced in the body when we fall in love. PEA gives us that feeling of falling in love, which is IN YOUR CUP OF FC!!! I know…who doesn’t want to fall in love DAILY?!?!
• Just when you thought I didn’t get any better, not only do I contain these incredible neurotransmitters I shared above, I ALSO have MAO inhibitors which support the body in absorbing these neurotransmitters!!
  Which basically means your body is able to receive even MORE of my goodness.
• I am also a beautiful gentle plant medicine that works WITH you. Unlike  other plant medicines that take you on more of a journey, I go where YOU desire. I work with intention working at the level of your heart chakra, am incredibly gentle and healing, working with you to clear, create and call in what you desire. Partner me with ceremony and you have a beautiful powerful tool to support you in manifesting those dreams in your heart.

As a quick rule of thumb for making a beautiful blend of me, We love the following: 

• 2 heaped spoons of cacao (you choose your dose depending on how strong you want it. For full benefits, go for a ceremonial dose, which is 42g),
• 1 teaspoon raw honey (make sure you get an epic honey, or if vegan, coconut sugar or nectar is great),
• 1 cup water (hot but not boiling). Then you can add extras. I like to add 1 teaspoon of Coconut Magic coconut oil (make sure you get a really high-quality coconut oil), mushrooms (Superfeast or Life Cykel are our favs), spices such as cinnamon or cayenne (just a little).
• Even a small drop of wild orange, cinnamon bark or rose essential oil is amazing!

Blend in a Nutri-bullet style blender or you can prepare in a pot and whisk. You can also use a Thermomix or heavy-duty blender. Blend for 30 – 60 seconds so it’s nice and frothy! 

Make sure the water you are using is good quality water, or at least filtered. 

You could add a little coconut milk or almond milk. Stay clear of dairy milk though as it messes with the amazing compounds of Cacao.

Freedom is different because It’s the native criollo from Peru. Every part of the supply chain is done with sustainability and fair trade at the forefront. It’s about as pure as pure can get. Plus at FC we put so much love and care into everything!

Every part of the supply chain of this cacao has sustainability at the forefront. 

Even our packaging is all sustainable and compostable and we use companies such as Inke and No issue for all of our packaging. 

Our core values include protecting the balance of ecosystems by avoiding GMOs, pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. Organic agriculture supports biodiversity and promotes sustainable food production by looking after our planet’s natural resources. 

A fair supply chain translates into offering the best price at the end consumer, making sure that the farmer’s work is fairly remunerated. This promotes favourable social conditions and sustainability of farming communities around the world.

We suggest starting with a 15-30g dose and increasing depending on your tolerance. Cacao is a personal preference, so start lower and you can increase as you make it yourself! (a ceremonial dose is suggested as 42g).

Each bag is 500g so it depends how strong you have yours!

Keep your Cacao in a room temperature dry place out of the sun!

Cocoa is highly processed, heat refined, contains low levels of Cacao and has little to no nutritional value. Cacao is a powerful superfood, high in antioxidants, promotes healthy skin, mood enhancing, contains essential vitamins and minerals and promotes heart health.

So…you can see now why Freedom Cacao exists versus Freedom Cocoa right…cacao is pronounced as ka-kow.

We don’t recommend cacao powder. Freedom Cacao is not cacao powder.. It’s ceremonial cacao paste. 

We have had people ask us before, why our cacao isn’t the price tag of cacao powder. There is a very big difference between the cacao powder and cacao paste (ceremonial grade cacao). Read above for the overview on what cacao paste is. 

These are two very different products. 

Cacao powder is a treated and adulterated form of pure cacao paste (what we sell). Cacao powder is stripped of a lot of its powerful psychoactive and euphoric compounds like anandamide, phenylethylamine along with other highly nutritious vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants. 

Cacao powder goes through a process known as pressing which puts the cacao under immense pressure, super heating it and separating the cacao butter from the cacao. The butter or healthy fat of the cacao bean is generally then sold off to pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics companies.

When buying cacao powder it means you are buying a deflated, nutrient and energy void version of cacao that misses all the amazing benefits that  cacao in its finest form has to offer! 

Anyone who switches from cacao powder to me instantly feels the difference and realises it’s well worth the higher price tag.

We always recommend checking with your doctor or healthcare professional first, however we have lots of pregnant mamas who enjoy FC daily! And post birth nourish themselves with FC.

YES! We’d love to know your favourite recipe! Submit it to service@freedomcacao.love with the subject line: Recipe for FC! And we might feature you in our recipe book or on our socials.

We know you want your Freedom Cacao right away and we do our best to make this happen. We ship your order within 24 hrs. If you order in business hours it gets sent out the same day, if it’s outside of business hours it gets sent the next day. With general Australian post it takes a few days in some areas however some regions take longer. We do have an express shipping option as well though that you can select.