The word cacao comes from the Aztec
language Nahuatl’s word “cacahuatl,” and the cacao bean was very
important to indigenous Mesoamericans. Cultivation of the cacao bean was
extensive in early Mesoamerica and Aztec lore cites the god Quetzalcoatl
as the initial discoverer. As described by ancient texts, it was used
for ceremonial, medicinal, and culinary purposes. Cacao was even ground
by the Aztecs and mixed with tobacco for smoking.
Cacao beans not
only provided a ritual beverage to the early Mesoamericans, they also
acted as a currency system. So powerful was the buying power of the
cacao bean, some unscrupulous people even took to counterfeiting it.
The first time cacao was introduced to the Spanish as a beverage was
at Hernando Cortez’s meeting with the Aztec king Montezuma at
Tenochtitlan in 1519. Within a century, cacao had spread throughout
Western Europe and demand for chocolate was so widespread that the
Spanish and French began to establish cacao bean plantations throughout
the Caribbean.
We use only the purest, organic cacao beans in our
vegan chocolate. Cacao is an excellent source of antioxidants, including
polyphenols. No refined white sugar is ever used in our vegan chocolate;
it is not the highly processed, artificially flavored, stuffed with
chemicals, debatably “chocolate” substance you might be used to. When
you use organic, pesticide-free cacao beans farmed by people with
respect for the plant and the land, you get chocolate so good that no
milk or milk byproducts are necessary to concoct a truly magical cocoa
experience.
Just like the Aztecs, we respect the cacao bean and
regal culinary qualities it possesses.
So do yourself a favor;
experience the cacao bean like it’s meant to be experienced. See what
had the Aztecs and the early European explorers so entranced. Give our
vegan and raw chocolate a taste. We guarantee you’ll be satisfied!
