According to Thomas et al., the highest recorded diversity of cacao (using geographic quadrants) is found in the Northeastern Peruvian Amazon, specifically in the Iquitos region. This area is considered one of cacao’s ancestral homelands—a sacred cradle of its genetic richness and diversity. Although we haven’t reached this area yet, the places we have reached offer some of the most interesting genetics we have ever come across.
In our current work with ceremonial cacao, we source from three distinct regions of Peru, each offering something deeply unique—not only in terms of flavor and genetics but also in spirit. These origins are not chosen for convenience or trend, but for their integrity, lineage, and the relationship we are building with the land and the stewards who care for it.
1. The High Amazon Basin
This region is home to three major genetic clusters: Nacional, Purús, and Marañón. The Nacional variety, once widely revered for its deep, chocolatey flavor, is known in the industry as the most prized for its organoleptic qualities. However, this cacao has also been shaped by human hands—selectively bred over time to emphasize a narrow range of traits, leading to a reduction in its natural diversity.
Our cacao from this region is different. It is not a monoculture or a single varietal. Instead, we source from a broader, more ancient gene pool—what we believe to be the ancestral forest where the Nacional lineage once thrived in wild abundance. Rather than being “refined,” this cacao is untamed, alive, and speaks with a fuller voice. It carries a fruitier, more expansive flavor profile—a complex song that reflects the diversity of the forest itself.
This is cacao as the Earth intended: whole, complex, and generous. It offers not just a taste experience, but a multi-layered communion for those who seek connection with the deeper medicine of this sacred plant.
2. Piura Blanco – The Tropical Desert
Our second origin is the Piura region, a rare tropical desert that defies most expectations of where cacao could thrive. Yet it does—and not only does it thrive, but evolves in remarkable ways. Here, cacao has adapted to a landscape of intense sun and sandy soil, producing rare white cacao beans that are visually striking and energetically unique.
While this cacao is likely descended from the same ancestral gene pool as Nacional, it carries a different expression. It is more genetically narrowed than the broader forest strains but still retains an ethereal brightness that makes it distinct. The spirit of Piura cacao is light, elegant, and refined, as if it absorbed not only the desert sun but also a sense of resilience and clarity. For those working with cacao ceremonially, Piura offers a subtle yet radiant presence—one that can support inner visioning and gentle awakening.
3. Chuncho – The Cuzco Highlands
Our third origin is Chuncho cacao from the Cusco region, nestled below the ancient city of Cusco, in the foothills of the Andes where biodiversity once flourished in unimaginable abundance. Though the modern Chuncho varietal is genetically constricted, it descends from a region with one of the richest cacao heritages on Earth. This lineage, shaped over millennia and then honed by Andean hands, carries a sense of grounding and focus.
Chuncho cacao is often smaller in bean size but powerful in potency. It connects us to a lineage of Indigenous use, ritual, and relationship with the land. While it may not carry the same genetic range as wild rainforest cacao, its presence is —perfect for ceremonies where grounding, centering, and ancestral connection are called for.
All three of these cacao types carry echoes of an ancient song—a genetic and spiritual lineage that traces back to the time of the last Ice Age, when cacao habitats were forced into isolated refuges. These pockets of forest became guardians of cacao’s future, each preserving different threads of its essence. What we now harvest is not just cacao—it is a reweaving of those threads, a remembrance of what was nearly lost.
And still, our work here is only just beginning.
We are listening. Learning. Honoring the land, the people, and the plant with every step we take. This is not a business of extraction, but a practice of reciprocity. A living dialogue. A humble offering to those who walk the ceremonial path with cacao, seeking deeper connection, healing, and truth.
Author
Jose Visconti - Founder and COO of Cacao Adventures
Background & Expertise
Jose has worked with Chocolate and Cacao since 2014 in various capacities; as an Agricultural Liaison for Bean-to-Bar chocolate companies, as a consultant to the International Trade Center, as a sourcer of Specialty Beans where he worked with Internationally renowned chefs, as the Chief of R&D and operations manager for specialty chocolate manufacturers. Jose has travelled throughout many parts of Peru to search for specialty cacao and holds unique knowledge in harvest and post-harvest processes that unlock the full potential of unique and special cacao beans.
Personal Connection to the Topic
Jose is not only a chocolate lover, but a nature and travel enthusiast as well. When he learned the full story of cacao, and how the original wild strains of cacao were in danger of extinction, he took it upon himself to find the right people on both sides of the supply chain to bring this issue to light through communication and product development; not just using words, but creating irresistible chocolate and cacao products to highlight the importance of preservation.
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