What is Cacao and Why Should I Care?
A few days ago, when I was avoiding doing any real work, scrolling through Tik Tok, I stumbled upon this video:
https://vm.tiktok.com/JJmVNY7/
Completely dumbfounded, I watched this video three more times and put away my phone feeling satisfied, knowing quite well my curiosity would bring me right back to that digital encounter. Forty-eight hours later, after enjoying a Saturday morning wake n’ bake followed by a quarantine brunch beer, I watched the video again, googled the name of the cacao and purchased it with Apple pay, all within 30 seconds. What can I say, buzzed me knows what she wants, and she gets it!
I just had to know. Was it all true? Did cacao “give you all the hype with this euphoric sense without any of the anxiety?” What was cacao, and why should I really care? It set me on a quest (which with my attention span, doesn’t last super long), to find out why cacao hadn’t had its big “wellness” moment yet. And of all people, why was I learning about a traditional Latin American ceremony from a white woman on Tik Tok? More importantly, was this drink really as magical as she was claiming it to be?
After doing some preliminary research, I found enough information to give me an idea of cacao’s backstory.
From what I could find, cacao, a plant that is better grown in the “shade of large Amazonian trees,” at its time was considered “food of the gods”. Its ingestion was reserved for only the most notable, elite, and religious. And, it was sacred enough to be considered a currency. Ah, wellness, constantly capitalized for the wealthy! Anyway, cacao’s chemical makeup is what makes it so “euphoric”. There are large levels of magnesium and tryptophan, an amino acid that when ingested gets turned into serotonin ( happy stuff!), which then converts to melatonin (that good good sleep stuff). This “hype” comes from the high levels of theobromine, a natural stimulant that doesn’t affect your central nervous system the way coffee does, but rather trains the body to respond to stress better. (amazing!) Cacao’s additional chemical agents include phenylethylamine (PEA) the chemical your body naturally produces WHEN YOU FALL IN LOVE, and anandamide, the neurotransmitter that like serotonin makes us feel happy. Cacao has become so popular that you can now spend $50 to learn how to properly prepare ceremonial cacao. I opt for Youtube videos and Tik Toks.
So… what it do?
Ceremonial cacao is rooted in the purpose of understanding the total interconnectedness of the world, and while it’s not psychedelic in any way, it is designed to help us transcend reality, which if you’re in 2020 like me, I am ALL about.
Essentially, you can use cacao beans, or this large block of pressed seeds (which is what I’ve been doing), and shave off about ¼ of a cup and combine with hot water, all while taking very deep breaths and envisioning you manifestations and intentions for yourself throughout the process. You combine the hot water and cacao, and stir or use a blender (extra frothy), and add honey and cayenne to taste.
Through this investigation, what I find the most interesting and slightly troubling, is the lack of accurate information and content in addition to the lack of Latinx authors writing about cacao. Not going to lie, not sure if I really trust a bunch of white people writing or talking about a plant native to Central America. It brings me back to a larger problem with wellness in total. When I think of wellness, I normally think of white women who have commodified an industry that was built around well being, but really reverts to capitalism. Maybe cacao is too fuss-free to be considered trendy like vagina steaming, or smoothies with full heads of romaine in them.
Either way, I’ve been drinking cacao off and on for two weeks (there is NOT enough caffeine in one cup to keep me awake until 4 pm, and I sleep until 8 am every morning), and I haven’t noticed a major long term difference in my celestial energy or dream manifestation (I’m actually an amazing manifester, remind me to tell you the story of how I got a dream job, an apartment and a boyfriend all in the same week). When drinking cacao without any additional caffeine boosts, I do notice a less shaky and distracted version of myself, which is nice. I highly recommend trying it and seeing if you notice a difference in your own body.
So in the short of it; I learned that you should in fact care about cacao, because of the number of positive bodily effects it can have on your system — especially its stress-reducing, better sleeping, type qualities. And it seems the internet agrees, the cacao block I was so quick to drunkenly buy is now completely sold out. But don’t worry you can pre-order it. Below is MY version of cacao that I have perfected over the last 2 weeks because WTF else am I supposed to do in quarantine?!.
Happy Cacao-ing!
Ingredients:
- Cacao seeds or cacao block
- Hot water
Optional:
(As I said, I am a caffeine FIEND, so while I love the drink I sometimes add an espresso shot for a tasty Lil mocha vibe or at least having one in the afternoon to keep myself awake through the rest of the day.)
- Half + half/oat milk/dairy of choice
- Honey
- Cayenne pepper
- Espresso
Recipe: Chop about ¼ cup of cacao on a cutting board while taking deep breaths. I take a deep breath every time a choppy chop. Boil hot water and combine ½ cup of hot water and chopped cacao into a blender. Blend for 15 seconds, then add a splash of half and half, and a drizzle of honey. Pulse a bit longer then pour into a cute boobie mug. Top with a touch of cayenne pepper.
Resources:
http://www.brooklynhealingarts.com/sound-baths-and-workshops/2018/3/24/sacred-cacao-ceremony
http://www.brooklynhealingarts.com/cacao/iu4uf42du2ox2d6kt8nxww0xw3g3qx
