The Kokoleka Difference
What makes our cacao so potent compared to others?
More than just a cacao company, Kokoleka Collective has been studying the intricacies of this ancestral superfood for over 6 years now; working with different stewarding communities across Central America (Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica and Brazil) to find the absolute best quality the birth basin of cacao has to offer.
So far, Southern Mexico and small pockets of Northern Guatemala take the flame for the purest, most potent cacao in the world. As the birthplace of cacao itself, there is a reason why so many underground cities have been discovered with massive cacao altars and temples. There, shamans worshipped corn and cacao, making it a central part of their lives and nutrition.
Is All Cacao the Same?
In recent years, cacao has gained popularity in the conscious world for its potent role as a superfood, heart activator, and delightful treat in itself. This buzzword has created amazing ripples—as well as not so great ones.
All cacao is treated equally,
when in reality,
not all cacao is created equal.
What the Mesoamerican shamans revered has strayed quite far away from what is currently grown in West Africa, unfortunately. Perhaps identical to the uneducated eye, they hold very different qualities and compounds; one is the richest source of magnesium and antioxidants, and the other the richest source of heavy metals. Not the same effect, to say the least! In this blog series, we aim to demystify the false beliefs around Theobroma Cacao as well as educate our readers about the difference they can make by buying from conscious sources.
Criollo Variety
First, the fruit itself can vary greatly; from Forastero (meaning foreigner) to Criollo (meaning wild) stands a world of difference. Forastero is much more popular as it is the newest, most disease-resistant fruit with the highest yield. Criollo, much smaller in yield and size, is a lot more delicate and sensitive to disease, yet holds a nutty, sweet flavour that could never be compared to the bitter taste of Forastero. Generations of expertise are required to maintain healthy Criollo farms, when Trinitario (a hybrid between the two) and Forastero can both be grown mostly anywhere with half the care their ancestral brother requires from its caretakers. Trinitario is a hybrid between Forastero and Criollo, heightening its resilience and yield while maintaining a somewhat sweet flavour. A good balance for eating chocolate; but when it comes to drinking, Criollo is much superior.
Processing Method
Each of these strains require different processing methods. Forastero needs to be fermented in order to lower its heavy metal content. Criollo, however, looses 20 to 50% of its potency when fermented because of the inevitable rise in temperature of fermentation. So even if your cacao is Criollo (extremely rare, only 1-5% of all cacao), Criollo Lavado is 1% of the 5%. According to the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), there are about 5-6 million (!!!) of cocoa farmers in the world - out of which we only found two trustworthy sources whose standards were high enough to make us feel safe with them to provide for us. Because of the years of research and energy put into finding this source, we cherish it highly, and know our cacao stands out way beyond any other brand that claims to stand out for quality. Keep reading to know more about the contents you ingest when choosing Kokoleka.
Heavy Metals Contents
A few years ago, a widely shared Consumer Reports investigation (from late 2022, with follow-ups in 2023) sparked concern after finding elevated levels of heavy metals—lead and cadmium—in many popular dark chocolate bars, including some from Trader Joe’s. Cacao naturally absorbs minerals from the soil, which is great for its nutrient content but also means it can concentrate heavy metals like cadmium (often from volcanic or younger soils) and lead (sometimes from post-harvest contamination). Regions with older, heavily weathered soils, such as much of West Africa, generally show lower cadmium, while some Latin American areas can have higher natural levels—though this varies widely by specific farm and soil. Our cacao, sourced from a very specific region in Mexico, benefits from soil profiles typically much lower in these metals. As shown in our recent test results graph, levels in our cacao are extremely low—well below common safety thresholds and often near undetectable—giving you peace of mind to enjoy chocolate as the delicious, health-supportive treat it can be.
Fig. 1 Heavy metals contents in Kokoleka Collective’s cacao - arsenic, cadmium and lead contents
Why does our Cacao hold so much more bioactive compounds?
It's very simple - it is held in the quality of the bean. When we found this Criollo Cacao Lavado, we had to deepen our understanding of the power of this bean. We teamed up with the University of Valencia in Spain, which was already researching cacao, to put them on the subject. The results were astounding; our cacao had 20% more theobromine, 50% more antioxidants, 93% more catechin (the main flavanol in cacao, which is known to boost stem cell production in the bloodstream), and 100% more antioxidants than fermented forastero (again, +90% of what is found on the market).
The results speak for themselves. Criollo lavado is much more potent than fermented cacao on all fronts. Not to diminish fermented cacao—it is less bitter in taste, yet we personally value potency over taste, which we like to sweeten with honey anyway.
Fig. 2 Fenols, antioxidants, epicatechin & theobromine contents in Lavado (PL) and Fermented (PF) cacao, toasted at two different temperatures (100 and 130 Fahrenheit)
This graph shows 4 different compounds; total phenols (top left), antioxidants (top right), epicatechin (bottom left), and theobromine (bottom right). The results are split between 4 categories; PL100 (prueba lavado 100°), PL130 (prueba lavado 130°), PF100 (prueba fermentado 100°), and PF130 (prueba fermentado 130°). Fermented cacao scored lower than Cacao Lavado on all fronts.
If we compare the same temperatures together, results go as follows;
Total phenols – 140% more in Cacao Lavado (both 100 and 130°)
Antioxidants – 234% more in Cacao Lavado (130°)
Epicatechin – 759% more at 130° and 596% more in Cacao Lavado at 100°
Theobromine – 123% more in Cacao Lavado (130°) and 113% at 100°
Fig. 3 Catechin contents in fermented cacao vs cacao lavado toasted at 100°F or 130°F
As represented above, catechin levels of the Soconusco Lavado at 1st day of harvest at 130°F stand at 11g per 100g. In comparison, Fermented Cacao from Michoacan at 100° or 130° stands around 1g. This is a 1000% increase from one to the other.
Catechin is the most potent flavanol in cacao, sought after by many scientists that extract the component from the bean to sell it as a pharmaceutical at a very high price for heart diseases. As anything else, the compound is much more bioavailable when consumed in its natural, whole form. The other results (TLT) translate to Tabasco Lavado Tradicional (traditional), which highlights the importance of processing the cacao within the 1st day of harvest when using lavado.
Catechin is a potent flavonoid antioxidant renowned for its strong free radical scavenging capabilities and health-promoting properties. It is primarily known for reducing oxidative stress, lowering inflammation, improving cardiovascular health, aiding weight loss, and providing antibacterial benefits.
Fig. 4 Flavonoids contents in Cacao Lavado 1st day of harvest, Traditional Lavado and Fermented Cacao from Tabasco, Soconusco and Michoacan
According to this same study conducted by the University of Valencia last year, the overall flavanoids content between cacao Lavado 1er dia (1st day), Lavado Tradicional and Fermented Cacao varies from 20g per 100g as per the latter, to 70g per 100g for Lavado 1er dia - a 350% variation.
Conclusion
Again, the results speak for themselves; Cacao lavado processed on the first day of harvest has an average 367% higher potency than fermented cacao on every single front analyzed, and less heavy metals. We don't mean to brag, but also can't make up these results! This is why Kokoleka works so hard at keeping this standard of quality and providing the absolute most powerful cacao possible to our drinkers. Not only does this affect our biology, it affects how we carry ourselves in the world and the impact we can have on our environment. We truly hope to make a difference with this intention of walking the beauty way in a humble, truest way possible.
Every month has a special product on display - this month, March, is for Harmonia - our Cacao Masala Chaï elixir that comes from a royal Ayurvedic family recipe. This blend is the most potent for gut healing properties and balancing GI issues. Try it yourself and let us know how it goes!
With all our love,
The Kokoleka Family x
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