The Cacao Portal: Sunday rainy evening with friends
On December 17th, we made the call to our Charlotte, North Carolina community and gathered with dear friends, family and newcomers at Sumaq cafe.
The Cacao portal is committed to honoring Mama Cacao and placed a beautiful altar connecting us to Cacao’s healing presence.
The mood was set- it was a rainy Sunday evening, and the welcoming embrace of attendants made us truly grateful for all that cacao has brought into our lives as founders of The Cacao Portal.
After saying our hello’s and warming up to the space, a traditional cacao recipe was presented: CIBA- a hearty cacao paste which was added to warm cinnamon water and lightly sweetened with honey. CIBA is actually The Cacao Portal’s first child- the first cacao paste that we started to consume, share and obtain feedback from. It was our door into the Cacao world and a very special introduction.
Right after, Alegría, our founder, carried on presenting two 100 % ceremonial grade cacao pastes for the tasting of the evening: Blooming Heart and Tropical Pulp. Alegría guided all attendants through activating the heart and the senses to Cacao- sharing her knowledge on origin, processes and effects of cacao consumption.
There was much concentration and discussion going towards understanding the flavor profiles and their notes. Overall, it can be said; some liked the sweetness and cinnamon that accompanied the earthiness of “CIBA” while other tasters preferred the harmonious floral notes of “Blooming Heart”. “Tropical Pulp” also had its fans - some connecting to different tropical fruits when tasting it. Both “Blooming Heart” and “Tropical Pulp" were served without sugar or honey in order to be appreciated for its essence - 100% cacao, not much else needed.
All hearts were opened at The Cacao Portal’s first cacao tasting in the U.S.
Closing our tasting and still buzzing with joy the evening transitioned into a discussion led by our co-founder Briana and our guest speaker Michelle Head, MS of Nutrition.
An important conversation was held about all things The Cacao Portal's ceremonial grade cacao, wellness and health. MS Michelle Head informed us of the remarkable scientific studies that back the affirmations of “The Cacao Portal”, upholding cacao as a medicinal source of great nutrition.
“Cacao is high in antioxidants and has been found to have one of the greatest.
presence of flavonoids. Flavonoids transport all nutrients to the body, hence.
cacao has a high bioavailability of these upon consumption.” - Michelle Head MS of Nutrition.
In addition, Briana highlighted the change the portal's ceremonial cacao has brought into her life when incorporating it into her daily routine.
"Our Ceremonial Cacao has helped my health in so many ways, it has curved my appetite, improved my mood and given all its properties it has also helped me focus while working." - Briana Egas Co-Founder
Our co-founder Melissa was moved to see the support of the Charlotte community and was grateful to see the impact of The Cacao Portal on all those who shared and participated in this special cacao evening with us.
