How is Guatemalan cacao different from regular cocoa?

Guatemala is one of the last strongholds of the very rare, ancient Criollo cacao, an exquisite fine-flavor variety that represents only a small percentage of the world's cacao production. The climate, volcanic soils, rainfall, and biodiversity of Guatemala create a distinctive terroir that produces complex flavors rarely found anywhere else. Cacao Junajpu's cacao comes directly from small family farms in Izabal and Escuintla.

How does Cacao Junajpu ensure traceability from tree to cup?

We do not import beans and manufacture them elsewhere, and we are not a white-label company. We work directly with the people who grow our cacao and produce it less than three hours from the farms where it is harvested, maintaining complete accountability from tree to finished product. Every batch is lot-marked for full traceability.

Is Cacao Junajpu organic and independently tested?

Yes. Cacao Junajpu is certified organic and independently tested for heavy metals. Every batch is assigned a lot number for complete transparency and traceability.

Has Cacao Junajpu won any awards?

In 2018, encouraged by friends, we entered the International Chocolate Awards for the first time — and won. We received the Silver Medal for our Mayan Sipping Cacao and the Gold Medal for our Rustico Bar. The International Chocolate Awards, founded in 2012, are the chocolate industry's equivalent of the Olympics or a Michelin star — that year, over 2,000 products were entered in the Americas competition alone. We are proud and humbled to have been recognized among them.

How should Cacao Junajpu be prepared?

Add 4 heaping teaspoons of Cacao Junajpu to 8 ounces of hot water or your preferred milk. Avoid a full boil, as that can alter the delicate flavor, aroma, and character of the cacao and spices. Whisk, blend, or froth until a rich foam forms on the surface — in Maya tradition, the foam was considered the most sacred part of the drink.

Why does Cacao Junajpu make only one recipe?

Our single recipe stays as close as possible to how the ancient Maya prepared cacao. It is made from one original recipe, from the same harvest, sourced from one of the two farms we partner with. By staying true to a single recipe, we preserve the integrity of the bean, the tradition behind it, and the flavor that makes our cacao unique.

Taste & Terroir | Cacao Junajpu — Ceremonial Cacao from Guatemala

Q: What ingredients are in Cacao Junajpu?

Cacao Junajpu contains only organic, native ingredients: stone-ground cacao, panela (unrefined cane juice that retains the natural vitamins and minerals found in sugarcane), and traditional Maya spices. There are no emulsifiers, preservatives, artificial flavors, additives, or chemicals, and no ingredients that are not native to Guatemala.

Sunset over mountains with fiery red and orange clouds

Taste and Terroir

Where the Land meets Tradition

Terroir |terˈwär|:

The sum total of the soil, the wind, the rain, the Sun, the location, the weather, all the factors present in the growth of the cacao; the characteristic taste and flavor imparted to cacao by the environment in which it is produced.

Pile of colorful criollo cacao beans with a natural background

Woman holding a split cocoa pod with white pulp

THE FINEST CACAO IN THE WORLD

Our heirloom criollo cacao grows in Guatemala's volcanic lowlands. Mineral-rich volcanic soil, consistent rainfall, and elevation create ideal conditions for cacao that's been perfected over generations. All of this contributes to its structure, depth, and earthy finish.
The same volcanoes that shaped this land
shape our cacao and give it its unique and distinctive sweetness and complexity.

Criollo Cacao

Fine-flavor cacao is produced primarily from Criollo and Trinitario varieties, while bulk cacao (the majority of chocolate products) comes from Forastero trees or from the now dominant widely cultivated genetic clones like CCN-51, which was developed for high yields and disease resistance rather than exceptional flavor.

The best way to preserve these ancient and delicious cacao varieties is to support the communities that continue to grow and protect them.

So we do.

Latin America—our home—is the world’s leading fine-flavor cacao-exporting region, accounting for approximately 90% of global fine-flavor cacao exports. Source ICCO

Proudly Grown AND Produced Here in Guatemala

Our cacao travels less than 3 hours (and crosses 4 rivers) to get to our workshop, and we buy only in small quantities,
as nature provides. The cacao you are drinking was most likely still on the tree a month ago.

Freshness makes a profound difference in flavor.

SINGLE ORIGIN

"Single origin" tells you where cacao was grown. It says nothing about how the growers were treated - or whether the chocolate was even made at its "origin."
Junajpu is crafted at the source,
so the value, the culture, and the care
stay where they belong.

No Two Harvests Alike

You may notice our cacao has a slightly different taste at different times of year. It’s subtle, but pretty awesome. This is due to the changes in the climate. Pure cacao products, like great wines, will ALWAYS be slightly different. You can never produce the same climate twice. Terroir. These subtle differences year to year are what make our cacao amazing.

100% PURE Cacao. Always

Fine cacao accounts for only 5% of world cocoa production- and our Criollo variety
is classified among the finest in the world-
as you can see in the images, each pod is truly unique.

In the US, only 15% of actual cacao is required by law to call something “chocolate” In Europe, it’s 35%. (source)
Junajpu is 100% cacao.

The Whole Bean Difference

Our ancestral whole-bean method

allows our cacao to develop and preserve
the subtle nuances in flavor and nutrition that industrial processing destroys. The result? A nutrient rich, immunity-enhancing,
high-vibration medicine.

Pure and Natural Plant Magic!

Terracotta mayan figurine IxCacao holding a cacao cup

TERROIR & LIVING TRADITION

Ixcacao, the ancient Maya being of fertility, abundance, love agriculture and chocolate.

The trees that give us our cacao are descendants of trees from over 3000 years ago. They are known as grandmother trees-
just as Ixcacao is still viewed as a grandmother today.
We treat cacao as a living being, responding to sun, soil, rain, and the changing seasons.
It reminds us that we are not separate from nature, but a part of it.

We Live Here

We don't import beans to manufacture somewhere else.
We're not a white-label company.
We craft our cacao at the source, here in Guatemala, with complete accountability and traceability from tree to cup.

We carry this tradition forward not as a story we tell, but as our way of life.

We Make One Recipe.

That's it.

One cacao, from one farm, from the same harvest, crafted from one ancient recipe, offered in different presentations.
Simple is sacred.

Preserving Terroir Through Our Process

Harvesting

Heirloom criollo cacao. Selected for peak ripeness.

Fermented & Sun Dried

Traditional fermentation develops flavor complexity. Sun-dried to preserve the cacao's natural character.

Low-Temp Roast

Gentle roasting protects delicate flavors and preserves theobromine's heart-opening properties.

Ceremonial Grade

What makes Junajpu TRULY ceremonial, is that we do the ceremony for you while we make it. Each batch is blessed with the Mayan energy of the day.

Ceremonial Cacao FAQ

Answers to common questions about ceremonial cacao

Ceremonial cacao is minimally processed, whole-bean cacao prepared according to traditional methods. Unlike commercial chocolate or cocoa powder, ceremonial cacao retains the entire bean and is never separated, conched, or heavily processed.
Cacao Junajpu is stone-ground in Antigua, Guatemala, preserving both the character of the cacao and the traditions from which it comes.
For us, ceremonial cacao is more than a preparation method. It is a living tradition rooted in Maya culture.
We prepare each batch with prayer and offerings according to the Maya Cholq'ij sacred calendar, honoring practices that have been carried forward for generations.

Our ceremonial cacao contains only organic and native ingredients. If the ancient Maya did not use it, it's not in our cacao. We use stone-ground cacao, panela (an unrefined cane juice that retains the natural vitamins and minerals found in sugarcane), and traditional Maya spices. The first ingredient is always love, because that's what goes into it from the earth to the cup. No emulsifiers, preservatives, artificial flavors, additives, or chemicals in our cacao. And no ingredients that are not native to Guatemala!

We don't pay much attention to contests, but in 2018, we were encouraged
by friends to enter the International Chocolate awards. Well, we won!

Silver Medal Award for our Maya Sipping Cacao and the Gold Medal for our Rustico Bar!

The International Chocolate Awards
were created in 2012 and are the chocolate industry's equivalent of the
Olympics or a Michelin award of chocolate. There were over 2000
entrants that year in the Americas competition. We are really excited
and proud to have won!

Add 4 heaping teaspoons of Cacao Junajpu to 8 ounces of hot water or your preferred milk. Best to avoid a full boil, as that can alter the delicate flavor, aroma, and overall character of the cacao and spices. Whisk, blend, or froth until a rich foam forms on the surface. Note that in the Maya tradition, the foam was considered the most sacred part of the drink. You'll see, and taste why.

If you have any more questions, let us know- Ask us anything! (Click here)

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