Peruvian Criollo Cacao (Theobroma cacao L, creole variety)
This is cacao in its pure, traditional form, used by ancient mesoamerican civilizations for thousands of years in ceremony and celebration. The paste can induce a chilled out slightly euphoric feeling.
Ceremonial-grade cacao paste is made by fermenting and 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 protect all those feel good chemicals, polyphenols, vitamins and minerals from the oxidation process. The paste has more beneficial properties than the two separate entities because of this.
Packaging is fully biodegradable.
Old Faithful Ceremonial Grade Cacao is cultivated by small farmer co-operatives.
Minimum possible processing is used, applying low fermentation and low temperature without roasting, by means of unique methods to maintain its natural purity and quality.
The Criollo variety is considered to be “the king of cacao” because it is the most ancient, it is not a hybrid and produces high quality beans of fine flavours and aromas.
Criollo has the highest concentration of joy-inducing compounds (such as theobromine, serotonin, proanthocyanidin, anandamide, and many others) out of all cacao bean strains. The minimal processing by traditional means produces a cacao paste that retains the majority of these compounds and generates the most powerful heart-opening sensation.
- Ceremonial Cacao - Criollo