on the rich volcanic foothills of Costa Rica, six varieties of Cacao are grown.
it all starts with a seed.
Like everything in life, our thoughts, hopes and dreams, it all begins with an idea, our intention and the planting of the seeds. Cacao is no different, the ceremony begins the moment the seed is planted until the velvety cacao is prepared and poured into your mug. It begins on the farm with the intention, the love and respect that goes into planting the trees and how they are cared for each day.
where we source our Cacao.
All of our cacao is single origin and grown on an organic family farm in the tropics of Costa Rica. Surrounded by volcanic hills and winding crystal blue streams; six varieties of cacao grow interwoven with plantains, cardamom & other fruits.
As the family walks the land the father cuts a cacao fruit from each tree to check for perfect ripeness. Once he has selected which varieties are ready based on the season the cacao pods and seeds are each hand harvested with love. Our cacao is made from whole beans that undergo a fermentation process necessary for cultivating their flavor profile and activating certain natural compounds. The beans are then sun dried, cracked, and stone ground by traditional means. The farmers will not roast the beans for this is a disservice to the fruit, the flavor and the medicinal properties of the plant. Yes, it would be much faster than the two week sun drying process but this allows the beans to retain the most nutrients and integrity of flavor.
It’s simple. Our passions are people, plants and food.
We believe in supporting community, sustainable farming and leaving the earth better than we found it. Using locally sourced ingredients is important to us and when it is an ingredient we don’t grow locally we take pride in finding the best quality farms and collaborating with like minded individuals living with passion and integrity.
chocolate bliss.
Our favorite and most ancient method the farm uses is to stone grind the beans in an artisanal machine and incorporate the mucilage from the cacao fruit back into the chocolate. Mucilage is a naturally sweet honey like substance that grows around the beans in the cacao fruit. This is the true treasure. Naturally sweetened pure raw cacao. Grown with love you can taste.