Chuncho Heirloom Raw Cacao, Hacienda Miraflores

Cacao Queen's Chuncho Heirloom is directly sourced from our partners Mateo and Wasi from indigenous family farmers in Peru. Our warrior farmers cultivate an ancient cacao variety known as "Chuncho" meaning native in the Quechua language. The remote farms are located in hidden valleys in the Peruvian jungle of Cusco, just downriver from Machu Picchu. The cacao trees are fed by rainfall and crystalline Andean springs and streams. Our partner farmers use traditional practices, no pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilisers in sight. Most trees are full sized, which increases the difficulty of harvest but produces higher quality beans. The remote location has altitudes ranging from 200 metres (650 ft) all the way up to 1500 metres (5000 ft) where the mountains kiss the sky. The soil is rich and loamy, it yields mineral-rich and flavorful beans.

Our Chuncho Heirloom happily grows under the best of conditions; among an abundance of partial shade-grown cacao trees cultivated in diverse forest ecosystems which provide ideal environments for midges, small flies that pollinate cacao trees. When it comes to the harvesting of small-scale farms with an average size of about 6 acres, it enables growers to easily harvest ripe cacao pods. Mateo and Wasi want to highlight that Chuncho is a stone ground cacao, over a long period of time. This Chuncho is also raw meaning it's unroasted, and there are many proven health benefits to raw cacao vs. roasted cacao. When cacao is ingested raw, all of it's nutrients are intact, as some nutrients die when food is heated. Raw foods in general contain more of their own life force and intelligence.

cacao pod in the wild hanging from a tree

Chuncho also refers to a unique strand of genetics found in this region that tend to have small beans that pack bigger flavour, higher cacao butter content and a unique aroma and texture. Chuncho Heirloom is packed with rich antioxidants, helping to protect against DNA deterioration by neutralising unstable atoms that damage cells, known as free radicals.

What does cacao do to your brain? As a nootropic substance, it is capable of enhancing the brain or mental function. Nootropics can help you boost memory, learning, and overall brain function. The term “nootropic” is derived from the Greek nous (“mind”) and trepein (to bend). Cacao flavonoids have been shown to significantly increase cerebral blood flow. Providing neuroprotection and boosting the glucose and oxygen needed to power energy-hungry mitochondria. Mitochondria are organelles within each of your cells responsible for metabolising or breaking down carbohydrates and fatty acids used to generate cellular energy.