We are deeply committed to respecting and honouring the Earth and Cacao’s natural environment—supporting sustainable agriculture and finding meaningful ways to help farmers and their families flourish. Our mission is to keep alive traditional cultivation methods and protect ancient varieties of Cacao, along with the vibrant ecosystems they sustain.
CacaoAmor at its core, is the union of two sacred pillars: Cacao (the Master Plant Teacher) and Amor (the frequency of Universal Love). The name translates literally to "Cacao Love." It represents the belief that Cacao is not just a commodity, but a bridge to the heart. In my brand's philosophy, the name signifies the "Heart Opener" which is the quality of the medicine, helping people create and fortify the bridge between the "Mind" and the “Shungu” (heart) and “Puyo” known by the West as the navel/womb space.
Our name reflects our commitment to:
• Amor for the Earth: Protecting the native habitat and biodiversity of heirloom Cacao in Ecuador, specifically for now, the three agroforestry farms we work with.
• Amor for the Farmers: Improving the quality of life for the guardians of these trees and land.
• Amor for the Self: Restoring our birthright of pleasure and happiness through drinking and merging with Cacao.
Cultivating Ceremonial Cacao
CacaoAmor works with three distinct "Micro-climates of Culture," each representing a unique thread of Ecuadorian resilience and botanical wisdom. 1. In Esmeraldas we collaborate with an indigenous ancestral group located in a humid tropical forest.
2. In Carchi, located in the northern Andean foothills, we collaborate with a community that consists of "settler-guardians" who migrated from Ibarra and the northwestern hills.
3. In Manabí, a faimly that represents the beautiful interwoven heritage of the coast; a mixture of the ancient Yumbo people and African lineages that sought freedom in the hills during the colonial era.
Our relationship with these communities is one of Radical Reciprocity.
We do not simply "buy" a crop; we participate in a shared mission to protect the Samay (Vital Breath) of the forest. By paying fair-trade premiums and honouring the Nacional bean, we empower these families to remain the "Sentinels of the Soil" against the encroaching threats of deforestation.
Our partner farms serve as a vital sanctuary.
By cultivating Nacional Cacao, the communities are able to protect three of the last standing wild forests in their respective regions. The production of our Fino de Aroma Cacao is what makes the preservation of rare, wild primary forest economically viable for the local guardians. We operate on a model of Radical Reciprocity. Although formal ceremonies were suppressed historically, these communities embody an 'Ancestral Mindset' (Yuyay), treating their groves as sacred ecosystems where wildlife, like howler monkeys and woodpecker birds, are respected co-inhabitants rather than pests. I pay annual visits to offer gratitude to the land and share ceremonies with the farmers, thus helping revive the ceremonial heart (Shungu) of Cacao in its birthplace. We are not just sourcing an ingredient; we are nourishing the cycle of Alli Kawsay (The Good Life) for the land and its people.
Cacao is my heritage. I grew up with this medicine in Ecuador and have been sharing them in ceremonies and circles since 2014. I founded CacaoAmor in 2018 to create a direct bridge to the UK, Europe and beyond. The families I partner with have been stewarding this ancestral Nacional Cacao for multiple generations. Our expertise is rooted in a lifelong relationship with the land.
In Cacao we trust…
Ecuador is the sacred birthplace of Cacao—I feel this in my bones, and it’s echoed by the ancient whispers uncovered at Santa Ana–La Florida, where the oldest traces of Cacao use were found, reaching back over 5,300 years. This land carries the original pulse of Cacao, where they were first honored not just as food, but as medicine, as spirit, as kin. Here, Cacao is not a trend—it’s lineage, memory, and love woven into the soil. As the founder of CacaoAmor, I walk this path in deep reverence, guided by the living intelligence of Cacao and the ancestral wisdom of this sacred land.
“CacaoAmor is committed to respecting and honouring our natural environment through sustainable agriculture, supporting small farmers and their families to flourish.”
CacaoAmor is 100% Nacional, the rarest and most aromatic lineage of Cacao native to Ecuador.
Classified as Fino de Aroma, our beans are the direct descendants of the original variety collaborated with by ancestral cultures as far back as 5,300 years ago. We bridge the gap between this 5,000-BCE heritage and today’s ceremonial practices, ensuring that every cup carries the highvibrational integrity of the 'Crown Jewel' of Cacao.
Often described as "the sweetest Ceremonial Cacao" and "favourite" of many. CacaoAmor is Cacao paste made from fine Ecuadorian Cacao beans. The beans are fermented and sun dried. Then gently roasted, ground and moulded in Ecuador itself, with great care taken throughout every stage of the process to preserve the health, spiritual and flavour qualities of this amazing superfood. Despite being pure, 100% Cacao, their flavour profile is smooth and gentle, with notes of white flowers, soft fruitiness and an almond finish. When prepared as a drink, it needs nothing more than water to create a rich beverage with a pleasant mouthfeel, a long-lasting aftertaste and a powerful effect on the mind, body and soul.
How we make our Cacao
Following a precise fermentation process, our Cacao is sun-dried to naturally develop its complex flavour precursors. For roasting, we utilise a specialised rotary drum roaster powered by conventional gas. We have found this method superior for medicinal integrity, as it allows for meticulous temperature control that ensures the Cacao is 'activated' without denaturing its delicate heat-sensitive compounds (such as antioxidants and neurotransmitters). Furthermore, the rotary design prevents any direct combustion gasses from contacting the beans, preserving the purity of the Fino de Aroma profile. While we have explored wood-fired methods, we find they often lack the thermal stability required for medicinal-grade Cacao and can carry a higher environmental footprint in terms of local deforestation. Although we aspire to transition to solar-thermal roasting, we are currently navigating the financial and ecological complexities of industrial battery storage. Our current priority remains the energetic and chemical purity of the final medicine.