Cacao Card
- Fill Your Cup -
Simple, Pure, Intentional.
Offering thoughtfully sourced and lovingly prepared Cacao from Peru to New Zealand.
Why Cacao?
More than chocolate!Cacao is a traditional plant medicine that has been used for centuries as a daily drink, a source of nourishment, and a way of staying connected to the heart and to nature.Cacao is the fruit from the Theobroma Cacao tree. Theobroma translates to ‘Food of the Gods’ and offers a unique balance of long lasting, gentle energy and relaxation. Unlike coffee, it provides a natural lift without the jitteriness or crash, making it a nourishing alternative for both body and mind.Sourced from Peru, where cacao grows in abundance and has been honoured for thousands of years by Indigenous cultures of the Amazon and Andes. Cacao was and still is, drunk and revered as a sacred plant medicine to support the body, mind and spirit as well as honouring their connection to land and spirit, using the fruit and drink as an offering to the gods.Rich in compounds that support the release of serotonin, dopamine, and anandamide - often called the “bliss molecule”, cacao enhances mood, connection, and a sense of wellbeing. It also contains phenylethylamine (PEA), sometimes referred to as the “love hormone”, which promotes feelings of openness and warmth.Cacao is now well known for being combined with practices like yoga and meditation, as it helps connect mind, body, spirit, especially through the heart chakra. Whether enjoyed as part of a morning ritual or part of a mindful moment anytime, cacao offers a gentle, heart-opening experience that energises without anxiety and encourages lasting calm and clarity.
Our Products:
Yunka andean cacao
YUNKA 100% Pure Cacao Paste:200g - $35
500g - $75
1kg - $130(Contact for wholesale prices)
Yunka translates to 'valley' in the Quechua language - the place where cacao trees grow, the Valley of the Peruvian Andes. To Yunka, Cacao is food, medicine, tradition, identity, biodiversity, culture, origin and life.
I fell in love with Yunka cacao personally while I was living in Cusco, and discovered their authentic small-run business where I not only loved their cacao, but respected the care, attention and love they put into the production of their cacao from bean to bar. Mostly woman run and crafted by hand, I especially appreciate how all of their beans are hand roasted over a fire, keeping in mind the low and consistent level of heat, to ensure a slow and even roast of the beans where the magical properties of cacao are maintained to their maximum potency.
Their intention goes all the way back to the germination process, where the seeds are germinated under the light of the full moon, giving the roots more moister in the soil as well as absorbing the energy and full brilliance of the moon at it’s fullest point.“At Yunka, we craft these cacao bars with respect for the land, the trees, and their medicinal properties, preserving their essence at every stage of production without compromising their purity. We work to maintain the purity of cacao, which is why we put a lot of value on ensuring that our bars go through a low temperature control during processing with great care and intention to keep their medicine, minerals and flavonoids without any additives or stabilisers. - To keep intact the life that dwells in the seed that allows us a deeper connection straight to earth.”Thank you Yunka Andean chocolate for your support in this project and all of the intention, detail and joy you put into this cacao all the way from germination process to packaged bars. I feel very blessed to have connected with this cacao and these people in Peru, as their respect and dedication for the land, culture and spirit continues to surprise and humble me.
Order Your Block Here:
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Whatsapp +64 021 141 2144
@manavidanz
making
your cup...
Bringing cacao into your daily life is an invitation to slow down, to feel more deeply, and to begin the day not from pressure, but from presence.There are no rules when preparing cacao, you will find your own magic recipe as you go. Here are a few simple guidelines to start...Presence — Allow yourself to arrive fully in the moment.
Intention — Decide how you would like to meet this moment
Love — Create with gratitude, care, and an open heart.And still, the most important ritual is simply drinking cacao. There is no perfect moment. No need for silence, stillness, or ceremony. The medicine is not found in creating the "perfect" ritual, but in welcoming cacao into your life however you can. In a flask on the way to work. In the middle of a busy day. Shared with friends. During heartfelt conversation. In moments of stress, celebration, laughter, or rest.Every cup is enough. Every cup is a chance to return to yourself.
To prepare a single cup:For one nourishing cup, gently heat 1 cup (250ml) of water or your favourite milk until hot but not boiling. Add 20–25g of finely chopped cacao paste (or more for a stronger ceremonial cup) and whisk until smooth and fully melted. Sweeten or add spices if you wish — cinnamon, cayenne, clove, honey or coconut oil are all magical additions.Enjoy with presence and love.
about me
My name is Vida and I’m a student and teacher of movement, nature and the human spirit.
I grew up amongst the beautiful bush in Coromandel, New Zealand, where a deep sense of wonder and gratitude for the natural world was born, instilling in me a lasting sense of wonder, gratitude and curiosity that continues to guide my journey today.My path began with classical ballet, where I moved to Australia when I was 14 to study full-time and later to dance professionally with the West Australian Ballet Company. After several years I decided to shift paths and immerse myself in outdoor education and yoga, studying Outdoor Adventure Education in New Zealand and completing my first 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with the Kula Collective in Guatemala. These experiences sparked a clear vision: to create spaces where movement, nature, and inner exploration could come together - offering others an opportunity to reconnect with themselves, and remember the truth that lives within.While I was travelling through Central and South America, I had the opportunity to deepen my knowledge and connection to the medicine of cacao. I spent time volunteering on a cacao farm in Guatemala, where I learned a lot about the process from bean to bar as well as the rich history of cacao that runs in the ancient Mayan culture. I tasted and drank so many wonderful varieties of cacao from Mexico to Panama to Peru, where I finally found myself living for several months at the end of my travels in Cusco. Here I discovered Yunka Cacao. I fell in love with this cacao as well as the deep history from the Andes all the way to the Amazon, which is full of magic, mystery and Indigenous wisdom, where plants are seen as master teachers and a pathway to deepen our connection to the earth and to spirit.Deepening my personal relationship to cacao has been such a beautiful journey which I can’t wait to continue. Cacao for me is a medicine that gives me permission to feel, and which helps connect my heart, body and spirit in such soft and loving ways. I am full of gratitude to have discovered this plant which only gives me so much passion and excitement to share this medicine with others.My intention is to share the medicine of cacao, through these bars from Peru as well as creating spaces and ceremonies that weave meditation, movement and music together, to help us listen to the wisdom of our hearts so that we may come together in love and harmony.
May this cacao bring you calm, clarity and connection.
Blessings & Arohanui,
Vida x
