Organic Dark Drinking Chocolate — 80% Heirloom Cacao (1.75 lb Bulk)
This is organic drinking chocolate, not a chocolate bar. It's an organic hot chocolate mix ground from real 80% heirloom Arriba Nacional cacao, whole vanilla bean, and organic coconut sugar — designed to dissolve into hot water, plant milk, smoothies, or baking recipes. You'll get a 1.75 lb bulk bag of stone-ground cacao discs and shavings, ready to whisk into a rich, bittersweet cup. If you were expecting a solid bar, this isn't it. If you were expecting a supermarket cocoa powder mix, this isn't that either. This is real ground chocolate for drinking.
What is drinking chocolate — 80% cacao explained
Drinking chocolate vs cocoa powder
Drinking chocolate is different from cocoa powder. Cocoa powder is what's left after the cacao butter has been pressed out of the bean — it's fat-poor, chalky on its own, and needs milk fat and sugar to taste like a drink. Drinking chocolate is the opposite: it's real ground chocolate with the cacao butter still in the bean. When you whisk it into hot water, the fat emulsifies and you get body without needing dairy. That's what makes drinking chocolate feel silky and coats the tongue the way a bar melts.
Why 80% cacao
The 80% refers to cacao content by weight. In a bar, 80% means intense and often bitter. In drinking chocolate, 80% means the flavor comes from cacao instead of sugar — closer to how Mesoamerican cultures drank chocolate for 3,000 years. We lightly sweeten with organic coconut sugar to round the edges, but you can add more or less to taste. The 20% that isn't cacao is where flavor lives: whole vanilla bean, coconut sugar, sea salt.
Ingredients — heirloom cacao, whole vanilla bean, coconut sugar
Arriba Nacional heirloom cacao
- Heirloom Arriba Nacional cacao — single-origin Ecuador, fair-trade, 80% by weight.
- Cacao butter — pressed from the same heirloom cacao.
Whole Madagascar vanilla bean
- Whole vanilla bean — Madagascar Bourbon, ground pod and seed.
Organic coconut sugar
- Organic coconut sugar — unrefined, low glycemic.
- Sea salt — trace, to sharpen the cacao notes.
Tasting notes
Bittersweet cacao body
Bittersweet cacao forward.
Floral vanilla mid-palate
Floral vanilla mid-palate.
Slow-melting finish
Slow-melting finish. No chalky aftertaste.
Preparation — 5 ways to use
Classic hot cocoa
Hot cocoa. Heat 8 oz water or plant milk. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the mix. Blend for 10 seconds if you want froth. Sweeten to taste.
Iced cocoa
Iced. Dissolve 3 tablespoons in 2 oz hot water first. Pour over ice, top with cold plant milk. Stir.
Superfood smoothie
Smoothie. Add 2 tablespoons to a banana-plant-milk-nut-butter base. Blend on high for 30 seconds. The cacao butter carries the flavor through the cold.
Mocha
Mocha. Whisk 2 tablespoons into a 4 oz espresso shot. Top with steamed plant milk. Sweeten to taste.
Baking-grade ganache
Baking. Substitute this for cocoa powder in brownies, ganache, or hot-fudge sauce. Reduce added sugar in the recipe by about 20% since this is pre-sweetened.
Heirloom cacao vs commodity cacao
Roughly 95% of the world's cacao is a single high-yield hybrid called CCN-51, bred for disease resistance and volume rather than flavor. Heirloom Arriba Nacional is a different genetic line — grown at lower yields on smaller Ecuadorian farms, harvested by hand, and fermented on the plantation for 5-7 days before drying. That fermentation is where the floral, fruity, dried-cherry notes develop. Commodity cacao is often over-fermented and dried on tarmac; heirloom cacao is fermented in wooden boxes and sun-dried on raised beds. You taste the difference in the finish — commodity cacao ends flat, heirloom cacao holds a floral note after the swallow.
Nutrition facts & allergens
| Per 3-tbsp serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | TBD |
| Total fat | TBD |
| Saturated fat | TBD |
| Carbohydrates | TBD |
| Added sugar | TBD |
| Protein | TBD |
| Iron | TBD |
Contains: coconut. Made in a facility that handles tree nuts. Free of soy, dairy, gluten.
Sourcing — Arriba Nacional heirloom cacao
Our cacao comes from small farms in coastal Ecuador that have grown Arriba Nacional for generations. Arriba was one of the first cacao varieties recognized for its floral, fruity character — the reason Ecuador was Europe's premium chocolate source in the 19th century before high-yield hybrids replaced it. We buy through a fair-trade cooperative that pays growers a documented premium above the commodity price, and we hand-select each lot by cup rather than by yield. Small farmers, single origin, single variety.
Frequently asked questions
How much makes one mug?
About 3 tablespoons per 8oz mug, adjust for strength.
Can I use it for baking?
Yes — ganache, brownies, hot fudge sauce all work.
Is it sweetened?
Lightly — with organic coconut sugar. Add more to taste.
Does 80% mean bitter?
Bittersweet, not harsh — the coconut sugar rounds it out.
Shipping, storage & Prop 65 notice
Ships from Berkeley, California in a curbside-recyclable resealable pouch. Store below 68°F in the sealed pouch; the mix keeps 12 months from arrival if stored cool and dry.
WARNING: Consuming this product can expose you to chemicals including cadmium and lead, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/food.
Original: $65.99
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$23.10Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Description
This is organic drinking chocolate, not a chocolate bar. It's an organic hot chocolate mix ground from real 80% heirloom Arriba Nacional cacao, whole vanilla bean, and organic coconut sugar — designed to dissolve into hot water, plant milk, smoothies, or baking recipes. You'll get a 1.75 lb bulk bag of stone-ground cacao discs and shavings, ready to whisk into a rich, bittersweet cup. If you were expecting a solid bar, this isn't it. If you were expecting a supermarket cocoa powder mix, this isn't that either. This is real ground chocolate for drinking.
What is drinking chocolate — 80% cacao explained
Drinking chocolate vs cocoa powder
Drinking chocolate is different from cocoa powder. Cocoa powder is what's left after the cacao butter has been pressed out of the bean — it's fat-poor, chalky on its own, and needs milk fat and sugar to taste like a drink. Drinking chocolate is the opposite: it's real ground chocolate with the cacao butter still in the bean. When you whisk it into hot water, the fat emulsifies and you get body without needing dairy. That's what makes drinking chocolate feel silky and coats the tongue the way a bar melts.
Why 80% cacao
The 80% refers to cacao content by weight. In a bar, 80% means intense and often bitter. In drinking chocolate, 80% means the flavor comes from cacao instead of sugar — closer to how Mesoamerican cultures drank chocolate for 3,000 years. We lightly sweeten with organic coconut sugar to round the edges, but you can add more or less to taste. The 20% that isn't cacao is where flavor lives: whole vanilla bean, coconut sugar, sea salt.
Ingredients — heirloom cacao, whole vanilla bean, coconut sugar
Arriba Nacional heirloom cacao
- Heirloom Arriba Nacional cacao — single-origin Ecuador, fair-trade, 80% by weight.
- Cacao butter — pressed from the same heirloom cacao.
Whole Madagascar vanilla bean
- Whole vanilla bean — Madagascar Bourbon, ground pod and seed.
Organic coconut sugar
- Organic coconut sugar — unrefined, low glycemic.
- Sea salt — trace, to sharpen the cacao notes.
Tasting notes
Bittersweet cacao body
Bittersweet cacao forward.
Floral vanilla mid-palate
Floral vanilla mid-palate.
Slow-melting finish
Slow-melting finish. No chalky aftertaste.
Preparation — 5 ways to use
Classic hot cocoa
Hot cocoa. Heat 8 oz water or plant milk. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the mix. Blend for 10 seconds if you want froth. Sweeten to taste.
Iced cocoa
Iced. Dissolve 3 tablespoons in 2 oz hot water first. Pour over ice, top with cold plant milk. Stir.
Superfood smoothie
Smoothie. Add 2 tablespoons to a banana-plant-milk-nut-butter base. Blend on high for 30 seconds. The cacao butter carries the flavor through the cold.
Mocha
Mocha. Whisk 2 tablespoons into a 4 oz espresso shot. Top with steamed plant milk. Sweeten to taste.
Baking-grade ganache
Baking. Substitute this for cocoa powder in brownies, ganache, or hot-fudge sauce. Reduce added sugar in the recipe by about 20% since this is pre-sweetened.
Heirloom cacao vs commodity cacao
Roughly 95% of the world's cacao is a single high-yield hybrid called CCN-51, bred for disease resistance and volume rather than flavor. Heirloom Arriba Nacional is a different genetic line — grown at lower yields on smaller Ecuadorian farms, harvested by hand, and fermented on the plantation for 5-7 days before drying. That fermentation is where the floral, fruity, dried-cherry notes develop. Commodity cacao is often over-fermented and dried on tarmac; heirloom cacao is fermented in wooden boxes and sun-dried on raised beds. You taste the difference in the finish — commodity cacao ends flat, heirloom cacao holds a floral note after the swallow.
Nutrition facts & allergens
| Per 3-tbsp serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | TBD |
| Total fat | TBD |
| Saturated fat | TBD |
| Carbohydrates | TBD |
| Added sugar | TBD |
| Protein | TBD |
| Iron | TBD |
Contains: coconut. Made in a facility that handles tree nuts. Free of soy, dairy, gluten.
Sourcing — Arriba Nacional heirloom cacao
Our cacao comes from small farms in coastal Ecuador that have grown Arriba Nacional for generations. Arriba was one of the first cacao varieties recognized for its floral, fruity character — the reason Ecuador was Europe's premium chocolate source in the 19th century before high-yield hybrids replaced it. We buy through a fair-trade cooperative that pays growers a documented premium above the commodity price, and we hand-select each lot by cup rather than by yield. Small farmers, single origin, single variety.
Frequently asked questions
How much makes one mug?
About 3 tablespoons per 8oz mug, adjust for strength.
Can I use it for baking?
Yes — ganache, brownies, hot fudge sauce all work.
Is it sweetened?
Lightly — with organic coconut sugar. Add more to taste.
Does 80% mean bitter?
Bittersweet, not harsh — the coconut sugar rounds it out.
Shipping, storage & Prop 65 notice
Ships from Berkeley, California in a curbside-recyclable resealable pouch. Store below 68°F in the sealed pouch; the mix keeps 12 months from arrival if stored cool and dry.
WARNING: Consuming this product can expose you to chemicals including cadmium and lead, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/food.
