Everything you need to know about Maya Cacao Arriba—from what makes it ceremonial-grade to how to prepare and enjoy it daily. This cacao offers smooth, crash-free energy, rich flavor, and natural wellness benefits.
To us, ceremonial cacao is chocolate the way it existed before anyone touched it — no sugar, no dairy, no artificial anything. Whole food, nothing removed.
We source from a single estate in Hacienda Victoria, a carbon-free family farm at the Ecuadorian Coast (Santa Elena). They have developed a special fermentation to bring out the textbook and exquisite chocolate flavor of this coveted Arriba Nacional Beans. It has nutty and earthy undertones, and a low acidity.
The shaman who introduced me to the maya nut suggested that the best synergist to add to cacao is maya nut. These two trees grow next to each other in their native ecosystems and thus are natural synergists.
Nikoko Cacao is not "certified" organic or fair trade by any third parties. Our cacao is grown naturally, in the understory of the rainforest, under the same conditions in which it has thrived for thousands of years. The farmers who grow our cacao are paid fairly for their efforts.
Possibly in the summer months (June - August) It's real cacao with all the natural fats intact which is why it melts. We ship with ice packs in the summer to attempt to keep the cacao from melting. If your're a regular and want to avoid melted cacao in the summer, place a bulk order with us in June. If your cacao order melts during shipping, just pop it in the fridge to re-solidify it.
