What makes Nantli different you ask?

We use premium-grade industrial roasting technology to process our single-origin cacao with exact control over time, temperature, and airflow. This precision allows us to consistently bring forward the cacao’s full, natural flavor expression—while preserving the potency and embodied effects of the bean—without burning, over-roasting, or the batch-to-batch variations common in other processing setups.

Our Goal:

To deliver cacao with the highest integrity—roasted, peeled, and refined in a way that preserves its naturally fruity, complex profile while producing a final product that’s exceptionally delicious, consistent, and high quality.

Precision Roasting

Most producers roast cacao in home ovens or over open flame, making it nearly impossible to control heat or timing. This leads to uneven roasting and inconsistent flavor.

At Nantli, every batch is cleaned, sanitized, and roasted in high-grade industrial equipment that maintains exact temperature, steady airflow, and precise timing.

This protects the cacao’s natural character and prevents over- or under-roasting.

Efficient, Clean Winnowing (Peeling)

After roasting comes peeling: traditionally done by hand, one bean at a time.
With Guatemalan cacao averaging 1.3–1.67 g per bean, that means roughly 50–60 beans per 100 g, making manual peeling extremely labor-intensive and inconsistent.

We use an air-pressure winnowing system that removes husks rapidly and cleanly, minimizing contamination risk.

Grinding & Refining

Once peeled, cacao must be ground into a paste. Many producers use a basic molino (a coarse corn grinder) and mold the paste immediately.

At Nantli, we take an elevated approach:

• Pre-grinding ensures uniform particle size from the start.

• Refining in a melanger/chocolate refiner further reduces particle size and separates fats and solids with precision.

• This gives us the ability to temper the cacao paste for superior stability and quality.

The results:

• a smoother, silkier mouthfeel

• a more stable and consistent product

• a higher melting point

• longer shelf life

• an impressive flavor profile

• heightened potency and physical effects of the cacao bean

Industry-Level Standards at Every Step

All of our processing is done using factory-grade equipment, clean production environments, and strict handling protocols.

Our methods consistently exceed typical cacao standards, delivering a cleaner, more expressive flavor profile and a refined, velvety texture; along with the full potency and embodied effects that high-integrity cacao is meant to offer in every cup.

Single-Origin You Can Trust

• Single-origin cacao comes from the same farm, same region, and same harvest. This preserves the true terroir of the land and gives you a dependable, authentic flavor experience—batch after batch.

• Mixed or multi-origin cacao blends beans from different farms, regions, and harvests—often to reduce cost—which leads to inconsistent quality, unpredictable flavor, and very little transparency in how the cacao was grown or handled.

Because all of our cacao is grown, fermented, dried, ground, and finished in Guatemala you experience a true expression of place: the fruity notes of the local soil, the consistency of one harvest, and the clean quality that comes from fully traceable production.

Every batch is also lab-tested to ensure purity and confirm that our soil and beans remain free of detectable heavy metals. This is single-origin cacao at its most authentic—ethically sourced, expertly crafted, and true to its land.

The ceremony is what you bring to it.

Our focus isn’t on calling cacao “ceremonial.”

It’s on offering cacao of such integrity that the meaning arrives when you prepare it, honor its origins, and feel its full flavor, lift, and potency in your body.

Our cacao is 100% pure, single-origin cacao paste is grown with organic practices and traded fairly, every batch is crafted with meticulous attention from farm to finish.

Each harvest is tested for heavy metals and consistently shows non-detectable levels of arsenic, mercury, and lead. It’s also a naturally low-cadmium cacao at 0.15 mg/kg, well below international safety limits.

While some might call cacao of this caliber “ceremonial,” we choose transparency and craftsmanship over borrowed terminology.

You bring the meaning.
We bring the cacao worthy of it.

We source directly from Guatemalan farmers and cooperatives, paying 2x above market price for the cacao beans.

Our beans stay in Guatemala, are processed and shipped from here. This keeps value within the local economy and ensures consistent quality from tree to cup.

Yes! Here are our most recent results:

Heavy Metals Test 6/2025

✔️ Arsenic, Mercury, and Lead: Not detectable.

✔️ Low-cadmium cacao: 0.15 mg/kg (well below international safety limits).

✔️ Meets and exceeds EU, FDA, and Codex safety guidelines.

Why does heavy metal testing matter?

Cacao trees are natural bio-accumulators, meaning they pull minerals and trace elements from the soil as they grow. This includes beneficial nutrients, but it can also include heavy metals depending on the region, farming practices, and environmental conditions. Because of this, heavy metal levels in cacao can vary widely from farm to farm.

Heavy metal testing matters because it verifies that the cacao you’re consuming is clean, safe, and produced with integrity.

Many cacao brands, especially those using mixed-origin or bulk beans—never test for heavy metals. When beans are blended from different farms, seasons, or regions, the final product becomes unpredictable. Without testing, consumers have no clear information about what they’re actually drinking.

Cadmium is the most heavily regulated mineral in cacao worldwide, and many Latin American producers struggle to meet EU thresholds due to naturally mineral-rich volcanic soil. Our low cadmium level is a significant quality indicator and makes our cacao compliant with international export standards.

These results tell a deeper story:

• The soil on our partner farm is healthy and uncontaminated.
• The beans are handled cleanly during fermentation and drying.
• Our production process does not introduce contaminants.
• The final product is safe for daily consumption.

For health-conscious customers, international buyers, and anyone who cares about product integrity, heavy metal testing is essential. It ensures that your cacao is pure, ethically produced, and aligned with global safety requirements.

At Nantli, we believe premium cacao should come with proof. Heavy metal testing is part of our commitment to quality, transparency, and respect for the people who drink our cacao.