Your home sounds like beautiful chaos
Thatās one way to put it.
I came back to add that for all the cacao mixes that arenāt powdered, combining using the 90°C (194°F) water with a blender and some milk will get a perfectly smooth cacao 100% of the time. But, naturally, that requires a blender.
You donāt need a crazy blender, but still, itās another cost if you donāt already have one.
I finally pulled my blender out of the cupboard and started using it for this.
Iād bought it over a year ago for mixing smoothies with protein and stuff for my partner. But I ended up being too lazy to use it regularly.
The results have me so happy that Iām going to keep using it all the time now.
My only tip is to put some of the milk in first before adding the cacao, as that will make it easier to mix and less likely to stick to the bottom.
Yes, I am new to using a blender, and this whole thing is a learning experience.
Iām in love with the cacao
I donāt mind the small flakes of cacao in mine that donāt melt. I know if I boiled the milk on the stove or used my awesome blender itād blend out but I have to much going on to worry about a few cacao flakes. Iām lazy ahha
Nothing wrong with that! A legit option is to just eat the pieces. This latest batch Iām trying has large pieces that you can either eat or blend.
Ah yeah Iāve done that twice lol. The discs.
Oh and in the pic you see cinnamon in my cup mostly but yeah
Oh by the way your drinks look like magazine pictures
Aww, thank you. I try. Itās mostly a combination of lighting and framing, which I am happy to help anyone with. I enjoy how photography is both artistic and very technical.
Well your great at it.
I got an email from one of the cacao sellers saying:
As you may or may not be aware, the cacao (cocoa) industry is currently navigating through some turbulent waters due to the global cacao crisis. This situation stems from a complex mix of factors including climate change, which has affected cacao crop yields, and socio-economic challenges faced by cacao farmers. These farmers are the heart and soul of our industry, working tirelessly to cultivate the beans that become the product we cherish.
Given these challenges, the cost of sourcing sustainably grown, high-quality cacao has risen significantly.
I wonder if weāll see some price increases in the coming months.
Iām curious to try this recipe that I just got in a newsletter from the Cacao Collective.
Will need to buy some white miso paste. Usually, I just have⦠I donāt know. It just says āmiso paste.ā But I have bought white and red pastes specifically before.
Spirit of Cacao is a beautiful blend 




This one is getting added to my go-to list. Itās a wonderful blend, very delicious, and feels great in general. Like my other favourites, it makes a lovely, creamy, rich drink when paired with my lactose-free milk.
The value is decent at $58 AU ($38 US) for 500g, which is a little more expensive than Cacao Collective but a little cheaper than Soma Cacao ā my two other favourites.
However, this one basically requires a blender to make, as it is shipped in larger chunks than the others. But when using a blender, we donāt need our milk/liquid to be heated as much, so there are tradeoffs. I heat my milk to about 60°C (140°F) when I use the blender.
I got two extra little packets when I ordered this one, as well as a beautiful jasper stone. They came with instructions to share them with others, so I made them for our friends when they came over, and they really enjoyed it.
Price Breakdown for 500g
A indicates which Iāve liked enough to give five stars. But do remember that this is my subjective opinion and that I do prefer the more simple, no-frills cacao experience, with a blend that becomes wonderfully thick and creamy when paired with my lactose-free milk.
- Cacao Collective: $54.50 AU ($35 US)
- Ora Cacao: $55 AU ($36 US)
- Spirit of Cacao: $58 AU ($38 US)
- Soma Caca: $65 AU ($42 US)
- Cacao Club: $100 AU ($64 US)
- Om Cacao: $175 AU ($115 US)
Please keep in mind that weights arenāt everything, and a single ādoseā of one may require more material than another. Texture, flavour, and strength all play their own roles. This pricing guide is but one part of the whole picture.
I wish this was printable my hand getting a cramp
Iām happy to make a printable version. Any preference for paper size? Well, I could just do both A5 and A4.
Then anyone can use their printer settings to scale them up or down more, if needed.
Hereās a PDF for the cacao ritual.
A Simple Cacao Ritual.pdf (24.4 KB)
And a version without the background or border, for better printing.
A Simple Cacao Ritual - No Frills.pdf (23.5 KB)
If youāre reading off a phone, some PDF viewing apps will resize it in a way thatās best for your screen.
Hope that helps somewhat.
Itās a beautiful ritual, and now itās a fancy pdf too! This is amazing, starborn, thank you so much for taking the time to make it so accessible!
Thank you so much! I just printed itā¤ļø
Glad to help! Let me know if you think of any ways it could be improved. I havenāt tried printing it myself.
I got new glasses for drinking cacao with. Partly because my partner likes to point out how unstable normal glasses are, partly because I want to try to leave connections with certain people behind (as the giant cups were a gift), and mostly because these are pretty.
The bottoms are much wider than the tops, but I shouldāve taken the photo from a better angle to actually show thatā¦
Would these count as ultra modern steins, @tracyS?