Our Sacred Process

Our Sacred Process: From Seed to Sip

Ceremonial cacao isn’t just a product it’s a living tradition. At Maya Moon, every step of our process is rooted in ancestral wisdom, sustainability, and respect. From the cacao groves of Cahabón to the hands of women artisans in San Marcos La Laguna, our cacao travels across Guatemala nearly 14 hours through the mountains to reach your heart and your cup.

We honor cacao not as “chocolate,” but as a sacred plant medicine. Our 100% pure cacao is stone-ground, hand-crafted, and fair-trade. Every order supports dignified work for Q’eqchi’ farmers, Indigenous mothers.

 

 

Step 1: Grown with Love in Cahabón

Our ceremonial-grade cacao begins deep in the lush rainforests of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, where over 195 Q’eqchi’ farming families cultivate native Criollo–Trinitario cacao with reverence for the land. The pods are hand-harvested when ripe, and the white seeds inside are carefully removed to begin their transformation.

We ferment the beans in wooden crates lined with banana leaves for 6–8 days  a traditional method that develops deep flavor and unlocks the cacao’s rich aroma. Then, they are sun-dried naturally for 7–9 days, preserving their ancestral essence.

 

 

Step 2: A 14-Hour Journey Across the Highlands

Once dried, the cacao beans begin a long journey nearly 14 hours across Guatemala’s mountains from Cahabón to San Marcos La Laguna, on the shores of Lake Atitlán. This pilgrimage connects two powerful Indigenous lineages: the Q’eqchi’ guardians of the seed and the Kaqchikel women who transform it.

 

 

Step 3: Artisanal Roasting & Shelling

In our women-led workshop, the beans are roasted in small batches over a controlled flame, just until the shells crack and the inner seed reveals its richness. Each bean is then hand-shelled by our team of women artisans  a delicate process that ensures pure cacao with no husks, no additives, and no shortcuts.

 

 

Step 4: Grinding into Pure Cacao Paste

The shelled beans are ground using traditional Guatemalan stone mills (“molinos”), transforming them into a smooth, rich paste. No sugar. No dairy. No dilution. Just pure cacao  potent, creamy, and energetically alive.

 

Step 5: Hand-Molded into Ritual Blocks

The paste is then hand-weighed and poured into simple molds to cool into ceremonial blocks or grated into fresh-ground cacao. Our cacao is never industrially processed or dehydrated  which means it retains its natural oils, flavor, and potency.

 

A Purchase with Purpose

Every cup of Maya Moon Cacao is more than a chocolate alternative. It’s a bridge  between traditions, communities, and generations. And every order helps sustain ethical cacao farming, artisanal women’s work, and the living Mayan legacy.