How to choose your Soma Cacao (Updated 2024)
One of the most frequently asked questions we receive is how do I choose which Soma Cacao to purchase?
Our cacao is all single origin: meaning each variety comes from a specific region. This is a stark departure from conventional chocolate and other cocoa and “ceremonial cacao” products, where beans from various regions are blended together, resulting in a homogenised flavour profile.
Depending on availability, at any given point in time we will have two, three or even four different options to choose from. Our general recommendation, if you’re a first timer, is to grab a Starter Pack so you can try a few varieties out first - letting your tastebuds (and heart!) decide.
But it’s not necessarily as straight-forward as this. We all have a different reason, or multiple different reasons, for choosing to drink cacao, and our unique origins each have their time to shine. So below is a breakdown of each of our varieties to help you choose the one(s) for you!
It is worth noting though, that while each have their different claims to fame, all are incredibly healthy, essential-mineral and antioxidant-rich, and all have the ability to interact with our neurotransmitters to produce happy hormones. All are also international award-winning, so no matter what you choose, you can guarantee you are consuming the crème de la crème of cacao, or as one of you described us, the “top shelf” of cacao in Australia.
All of them also contain the entire cacao bean. This is what makes Soma Cacao unique. Normally the highly prized cacao butter is stripped away through intensive processing to produce cacao powder or cocoa powder. At Soma Cacao, we add nothing, and we take nothing away.
Note: If you’ve tried other brands in Australia of ceremonial cacao you might have noticed they all pretty much taste the same as each other. This is because the majority of brands selling ceremonial cacao in Oz are sourcing from the same collective of (literally) tens of thousands of farms from Tarapoto, Peru. This volume of beans homogenises the flavour, and also makes it impossible to trace the cacao back to its farm of origin (and, by extension, impossible to know just how much of the price paid for the cacao goes to the farmers themselves). So in fact, the only difference is the packaging.This is where Soma is very different. We can trace our cacao directly to the small, family-run, award-winning farms from which it grows, we pay premium prices far beyond the fair trade rate (which is in fact, anything but fair) and this is very apparent once you try our cacao: each origin is utterly unique!
KARKAR ISLAND CACAO
On a tropical, volcanic island off the coast of Papua New Guinea grows some of the most highly prized cacao in the world. It is from here that we’ve sourced more award-winning cacao to add to our Soma Cacao repertoire. The rich lava soil provides fertile ground for highly potent cacao to grow with ease.
Origin: Karkar Island, Papua New Guinea
Strain: Trinitario hybrids
Flavour profile: Rich dark colour. Soft, creamy mouth melt, akin to ganache or chocolate pudding. Flavour emerges gradually with a moderate cocoa and browned, fermented/cooked fruit note. Blended aftertaste. Hints of malted barley, cooked plum, forest flowers and molasses.
(Reminder - these are tasting notes, not additives :)).
Claim to fame: By far our best-selling variety, this cacao is generally considered the most delicious, rich and smooth of all. It is also the most gentle option, and is the closest in flavour and texture to that rich, hot chocolatey experience we all know and love.
Best for: Your everyday calming morning drink, soothing anxiety or stress, an evening nightcap, and/or introducing friends and family to ceremonial cacao.
Expect a stronger, more unique flavour and greater potency due to this rare and powerful cacao strain: criolla beans (almendra blanca, to be specific) are considered the crème de la crème of ceremonial cacao.
Our single origin, award-winning, organic, ceremonial whole bean Mexican cacao grows in Chiapas, in a town called Cacahoatán, which means “place of cacao” in the ancient Toltec language. Need we say more? :)
Important note: This is our most polarising cacao. You either love it (and no other cacao compares!) or… you don’t. So we highly recommend starting out with a smaller bag to test this one out, first.
Origin: Chiapas, Mexico.
Strain: Alemendra Blanca (criolla).
Flavour profile: Very light in colour—like a dark milk chocolate. Soft, creamy mouthfeel. Highly unique, complex flavour, balanced low bitterness and velvety astringency, fruit acidity with complex mix of cooked fruits and dates,. Hints of cashew nuts, raisin, cranberry and a touch of caramel.
Claim to fame: Featuring a rare, heirloom cacao strain, this cacao is by far the closest to traditional Mayan cacao. It won GOLD in the 2021 Cocoa of Excellence Awards, and is our most highly awarded cacao origin of all.
Best for: A heart-opening cacao ritual, a strong morning drink (an excellent coffee alternative) or on special occasions or where you need a stronger burst of energy, awareness and centred-ness. Not suitable for an evening nightcap due to caffeine & theobromine content.
Introducing our new Solomon Islands Cacao, a highly unique and award-winning single-origin cacao known for its rich, smoky, toasty flavour reminiscent of Russian Caravan Tea, making it a favourite among refined palates, especially coffee lovers.
This antioxidant-rich, certified organic and kosher cacao is sustainably grown in one of the purest ecosystems on earth, using traditional methods passed down through generations of Solomon Islanders. Our partnership with a Cacao Social Enterprise ensures that local farmers receive technical advice, financial support, and compensation above Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance standards.
Origin: Solomon Islands.
Strain: Trinitario hybrids.
Flavour profile: Complex flavour profile with rich, deep notes of smoked oak, complemented by a toasty warmth and subtle undertones of black tea and roasted almonds, evoking the essence of Russian Caravan Tea. Its finish is smooth yet lingering, with a dry, earthy balance that appeals to the discerning palate. (note - this is a flavour profile, not an ingredients list :))
Claim to fame: Our Solomon Islands Cacao is celebrated for its uniquely rich and distinctly smoky flavour, and has been awarded two stars at the prestigious Great Taste Awards in the UK for its outstanding quality and unparalleled depth.
Best for: Your morning cup.
DAINTREE REGION, QUEENSLAND CACAO
This single origin, certified organic, 100% pure cacao paste is sourced from the pristine Daintree region, in spectacular Far North Queensland. The trees grow between two World Heritage Listed natural wonders: on one side, the world-famous Great Barrier Reef; on the other, the Daintree Rainforest, one of the oldest and most ecologically diverse rainforests in the world
Great care is taken by the growers to ensure that there is no chemical run-off that could pollute the soils and waterways of the region. Fertilisers are derived from on-farm inputs, including leaves, prunings and cacao pods. Cacao pod juice, a by-product of the extraction process, is fermented and used as a natural weed-killer. Green ants thrive in the environment, acting as natural pest controllers by preying on beetles, termites and moths.
Origin: Daintree Region, Australia.
Strain: Trinitario hybrids.
Flavour profile: Medium to dark brown colour. Strong chocolate taste, with an almond aroma. Notes of brandy, cognac, malt and toffee, with a hint of baked apple and blackberry.
Claim to fame: Certified organic, Australian-grown in the pristine Daintree region, using permaculture principles with a heavy focus on sustainability.
Best for: A grounding yet uplifting morning cup, for a slow-onset but long lasting burst of energy and creativity. Also suited for a gentle afternoon pick-me-up, or an evening nightcap with a smaller dose (1 tablespoon).
