Ceremonial cacao refers to the quality and source of the beans, the process of making the cacao, and the intentions and ingredients that go into it.

From the beginning of the process, our intention is to create a delicious cacao beverage that provides a holistic, connective experience with the Spirit of the cacao tree and ourselves.

To do so, every step of the chocolate making process from the farming to the shipping is done in full alignment with our mission of healing.

Our cacao is organic and of the highest quality, and we have strong beneficial relationships with all of our small family farmers.

Our entire process is designed to maintain the natural energetic and beneficial compounds of the cacao. Our chocolate is a whole food from beginning to end - we neither add processing aids or remove key beneficial compounds such as cacao butter, which is the best natural carrier of all of cacao’s health benefits.

Our factory is peaceful and we keep it energetically clear, ensuring that the cacao is made in a good-energy environment. We personally enjoy drinking chocolate often throughout the production process, as we taste the small batches and attune to the desires of the spirit of cacao. We understand that not everyone is intimate with the chocolate making industry at large, so to provide some more context, here is a comparison of our ceremonial cacao to industrially produced chocolate.

Industrial produced chocolate is:

• Grown in mono-cropped industrial farms using hybridized cacao genetics, pesticides, and unfair labor practices emphasizes quantity over quality.
• Mass manufactured in factories
• Contains additives such as refined sugars and preservatives
• Heated using dutch processing techniques which destroy the beneficial healthy compounds
• Made by corporations that usually prioritize profit over positive impact on the land, people & resources utilized
• Consumed as candy

In contrast, Ora's Ceremonial Cacao is:

• Respected as a tree Spirit 
• Comes from native seeds from local heirloom nurseries
• Organically grown in agroforestry projects, primarily on family farms averaging 2 acres in size
• Grown in a cooperative model, paying an average of 40-220% above the commodity price which provides better livelihood for the farmers and communities
• Purchased directly and handcrafted into chocolate at our factory in northern California
• Blessed throughout the entire making process with love and intention for healing
• Lightly roasted, maintaining the healthy beneficial compounds of the cacao beans. This allows one to access expanded states of consciousness and increased vitality levels by connecting with the beneficial compounds of high quality cacao
• In the form of cacao discs, which allow for easy measuring, and easy blending into heated water to make smooth drinking chocolate 
• Consumed intentionally with ritual, often to connect more deeply with yourself and others.

All you need to start is:

• Some quality ceremonial grade cacao

• A way to heat water

• A blender, whisk or fork

• A mug

We recommend trying our ceremonial cacao kits,which will give you a variety of cacaos to try.

Heat your water to 180F or less (you can boil it and let it cool down) and measure out 20-25 discs of your cacao.

Place the cacao into your blender, or mug, and pour in your heated water. Add in any additional ingredients that you'd like, and gently blend or whisk, so that the cacao discs fully melt into the water. 

Blending will provide a smoother consistency. We also recommend a handheld milk frother for making single cups of cacao, or making cacao while traveling.

It's extra lovely to use a special mug, listen to inspirational or healing music, and set an intention before you take your first sip.

As you drink, notice how the cacao feels in your body, heart and soul.

In a nutshell, we’re redefining chocolate, with the goal of building healthy relationships between people, plants, and the earth.

We source from sustainable, small family farms, that Jonas has personal relationships with, and we craft all of our cacao from the cacao beans all the way to cacao discs in our factory in Northern California. 

We've found that removing middlemen from the process is the best way to maintain the pure energy & intention for our products.

What makes Ora Cacao Unique:

• We are one of the few bean to ceremonial cacao makers. Most suppliers source the cacao paste in block form meaning they don’t have control over the entire making process. 

• We are one of just a few organic certified ceremonial cacao producers on the market

• We run on 100% solar energy

• We are the only company with ceremonial cacao discs. Most other companies sell bricks of cacao which require grinding/chopping & measuring to make a cup of cacao.

• With our discs you can count out the discs and they melt easily into hot water.

• Our cacao has over 2,700 reviews averaging 4.9 stars

• We work with certified organic farms

• We are the leading supplier of ceremonial cacao in the US. We have an ever growing variety of products, including different ceremonial cacao blends, and 3-4 different origins available at a given time. This allows our customers to get to know cacao on deeper levels, as each origin has a unique energy and taste.

• We offer high quality online courses and an annual in-person retreat at origin to build an ecosystem of cacao stewards around the world who are knowledgeable about cacao and educated in holding safe space for people in cacao ceremony.

While most chocolate bars are highly processed and loaded with cane sugar, our 100% pure cacao is a different story. You can feel great about having it every day!

With 300-1200 individual constituents, cacao is one of the most pharmacologically complex plant substances known to man. When consumed unsweetened or with very little sugar, it is a superfood, packed with beneficial minerals and neuro-modulators that beneficially affect our state of mind. The mild bitterness of a ceremonial cacao drink can also serve to cleanse the liver or release emotions, and the alkaloid content of pure cacao boosts circulation and absorption of nutrients. Cacao could be classified as a drug rather than a food, it has over 300 (and possibly over 1000) individual constituents that act in amazing synergy to benefit the human body.

Key benefits include:

• Many vital minerals, especially for heart health. Consuming cacao can replenish minerals vital to our body. Magnesium is chronically deficient in the majority of western diets, and cacao is the highest naturally occurring source. Magnesium is used in all key brain functions, especially memory and concentration. It is also beneficial for the function of the heart, acting to relax blood vessel and decrease strain. Besides magnesium, cacao is also the highest naturally occurring source of chromium, and also high in copper, calcium, manganese, zinc, sulfur, iron, and phosphorous. 

• Our cacao has been lab tested for safety and meets comprehensive EU standards for absence of heavy metals. 

• Theobromine is only about one quarter as stimulating as caffeine, and it has a much longer half life in the liver, meaning that it's effect on the body is softer and longer. Theobromine is a cardiac stimulant, as opposed to caffeine which is a nervous system stimulant.

• Multiple mood elevating compounds. Regularly working with unsweetened chocolate can have therapeutic health benefits, including creating new neural pathways that change our daily experience to include more joy, love, and connection. Cacao contains beneficial neurotransmitters and neuromodulators already present in our brain, most notably including: 

- Norepinephrine - the joy moleculeSerotonin - help with wellbeing, and creates resistance to stress. Cacao also has MOA inhibitors, that inhibit re-uptake of serotonin.

- Dopamine - feelings of motivation and pleasure. Cacao also has MOA inhibitors, that inhibit re-uptake of dopamine.

- Anandamine - the bliss molecule, it moderates pain, and is associated with the "runners high" effect. Cacao also has N-linoleoylethanolamine, the re-uptake inhibitor for anandamine.Phenylethylamine (PEA) - helps with excitement, alertness, attention. Gives the perception of time slowing down. 

• Increased energy & vitality. Caffeine is often confused with the primary stimulant molecule in cacao, theobromine. There actually isn't much caffeine in our cacaos at all .... the misconception arises from the fact that the cane sugar used to sweeten most chocolate bars gives a caffeine like energy rush. But since we make pure cacao without sugar you are probably wondering now:What is Theobromine, and How is it Different than Caffeine? Theobromine is an alkaloid in the methylxanthine class of compounds, which also contain caffeine, mateine, and more. Theobromine simultaneously stimulates the heart and relaxes blood vessels, together producing an effect of 30-40% higher blood circulation. This improves absorption of other important nutrients in cacao or other superfoods that it is paired with.

• High source of antioxidants.

Yes, all our cacao is third party tested for mold before we purchase it, that is part of our purchasing standards. So no, you do not need to be concerned about mycotoxins in our cacao. 

Our cacao has been lab tested for safety and meets comprehensive EU standards for absence of heavy metals.

We get the cleanest cacao in the industry, from reliable and reputable partners who take utmost care in the fermentation and drying process to produce ultra premium cacao. Jonas, the founder, visits our suppliers to verify the post harvest processing himself.