Inside Maya Moon: Where Ceremonial Grade Cacao Is Made
Most people who drink ceremonial cacao have never seen where it comes from.
This is that place.
The Village
San Marcos La Laguna sits on the shore of Lake Atitlán, surrounded by volcanoes and centuries of Kaqchikel Maya history. This is not just where Maya Moon Cacao is made it is the hometown of Maura and Lisa, the two sisters who founded it in 2019.
For them, making ceremonial grade cacao here is not a brand decision. It is identity.
Before a single bean reaches the workshop, 195 Q'eqchi' families in Cahabón, Alta Verapaz have already grown it, fermented it in banana leaves for 6 to 8 days, and sun-dried it for a week. Then it travels 14 hours across Guatemala to San Marcos.
From Q'eqchi' hands to Kaqchikel hands. From highland forest to workshop.
Inside the Workshop
The cacao bean warehouse is where the raw Criollo cacao beans arriving from Cahabón are stored under carefully controlled temperature and humidity conditions before production begins. Excess heat or moisture can affect cacao butter quality and alter the characteristics that make ceremonial cacao unique. This step is often invisible to the consumer, yet it influences the quality of everything that follows.
Roasting is carried out in small batches using artisanal methods that combine traditional knowledge with carefully monitored production systems. Some batches are roasted using traditional techniques, while others utilize small-scale equipment designed to maintain consistency without sacrificing quality. The goal is always the same: preserve the natural character of the cacao while developing its aroma and flavor.
After roasting, the beans are carefully peeled and prepared for transformation into ceremonial cacao. This stage requires attention to detail and quality control to ensure only the best cacao moves forward in the process.
The cacao is then ground into a smooth ceremonial paste through an artisanal production process designed to preserve the cacao butter naturally present in the bean. Controlled temperatures throughout production help maintain the integrity of the cacao, which is one of the key differences between ceremonial cacao and highly processed cocoa products.
Production is carried out in small batches to prioritize freshness and quality. Rather than producing large volumes for long-term storage, batches are prepared according to demand, allowing the cacao to reach customers closer to the date of production and with its natural characteristics preserved.
The Sacred Altar
At the center of the workshop stands a sacred Maya altar present long before Maya Moon Cacao existed.
It is not decorative. It is a living part of the Kaqchikel Maya spiritual practice that Maura and Lisa grew up inside the understanding that cacao is not a product but a sacred plant medicine with thousands of years of ceremonial history.
This altar is why the word ceremonial means something specific here.
The Story Behind It
In 2019, Lisa was making cacao for a company doing real, ancestral work, being paid unfairly for it.
Maura sat down next to her and started peeling cacao alongside her. She watched. She asked how much Lisa was earning. They looked at the numbers together.
Maura told her: your work is not being valued. Let's build our own.
Today, 15 Kaqchikel Maya single mothers work in this workshop. Women who can bring their children with them while they work. Women who earn income every month doing work that their community has always known how to do.
When you buy Maya Moon Cacao this is where the money goes.
Certified Ceremonial Cacao®
Maya Moon Cacao is a Founding Licensee of Certified Ceremonial Cacao® the first legally registered ceremonial cacao certification in the world.
In a market where anyone can write ceremonial on a label, this certification verifies what that word actually means: origin, process, grade, and indigenous connection. No competitor currently holds it.
This is not appropriation. This is the source.
Two sisters. Fifteen single mothers. 195 farming families. Six years.
Maltiox.