Theobroma Cacao is the Latin name for the cacao tree. In Latin countries, the word Cacao is used, where as in English-speaking countries, cocoa is more commonly used. We use the word Cacao because our cacao products are minimally processed and have not been through the intense processing that traditional cocoa products have.

The Cacao we use is grown by the Ashaninka community in the Peruvian Amazon. We’ve worked with the Ashaninka cooperative Kemito Ene since 2015, and their cacao is very special. It is shade-grown under the forest canopy as it has been for generations, preserving the forest while providing a sustainable income for the community. These traditional farming methods are naturally regenerative, retaining carbon in the soil, and keeping it fertile for future crops.

We trade directly with Kemito Ene, paying an above fair-trade price for their cacao. This Cacao is not roasted, unlike the majority of commercial cocoa. This really allows the complex flavour of these high quality beans to shine!

Theobroma Cacao is the Latin name for the cacao tree. In Latin countries the word cacao is used where as in english speaking countries cocoa is used.  We use the word Cacao because our cacao products are minimally processed and have not been through the intense processing that traditional cocoa products have.

Raw cacao beans which have their skins removed and are then crushed into lots of little pieces are called ‘nibs’. Nibs which are ground into a fine paste become ‘cacao liquor’. When the liquor is pressed in a special machine, it’s separated into fat and powder. The fat from within the liquor is the ‘cacao butter’ and the remainder is milled into ‘cacao powder’.

You can read all about the process here - Loving Earth Blog.

Loving Earth’s raw Maqui Powder is considered to be the fruit with the highest antioxidant content in the world, topping the ORAC score charts with 319,265 uMol TE per 100g.

Our raw Cacao Powder has an ORAC score of 98,000.

Both varieties have their own distinct idiosyncrasies and identity. Different growers, climate conditions, soil structures and the variety of crops grown in the area give each a unique flavour.

The Peruvian cacao powder has a lower fat content (12%) and higher ORAC score than the Balinese cacao powder which has about 25% fat content.  The reason Balinese cacao powder has a higher fat content is because the temperature has been controlled to less than 45ºC in the press, so not as much pressure can be used. With Peruvian cacao powder much more pressure is used, generating heat so the temperature can get up to 65ºC in the press, but due to the increased pressure there is less fat in the finished product and therefore more antioxidants.