Yes and no! Ceremonial cacao is raw in the sense that it’s pure and very minimally processed. True ceremonial cacao paste is just that… cacao! No herbs, mushrooms, or sweeteners added.
However ceremonial cacao isn’t “raw” in the sense of being totally unheated. The ancient traditional way of preparing cacao involves lightly roasting the beans over a wood fire. This impacts the flavor and energy of the cacao in a way that simply cannot be replicated in a propane oven. And we’re one of the only companies selling pure ceremonial/artisanal cacao roasted over a wood fire. There is attention not to let it get too hot or burn, but there no way to measure the exact temperature when roasting over a wood fire.
Furthermore, the whole concept of “raw” food is actually very fuzzy. There’s no universal agreement about what it means, and no governing board checking on the validity of “raw” claims. It’s generally thought that keeping foods below 118 degrees F keeps it “raw”… but again, that’s not a universal quantification. It's true that cacao powder is cold-pressed, but it is usually heated to very high temperatures earlier in the manufacturing process (see the diagram below).
It’s possible to get cacao that has only been sun dried and not roasted, but this is more expensive due to the increased manual labor it requires. And in our opinion it doesn’t offer as full or deep of an experience as the roasted cacao. It’s possible that more theobromine (the main active compound) transfers from the hull to the bean during roasting. Furthermore, cacao literature tells of a mysterious alchemy that occurs during the grinding of cacao beans to make paste (which in many cases goes on to become chocolate). Long story short, stick to real ceremonial cacao!
To better understand the difference between ceremonial cacao and cacao powder, please view this diagram by Eduardo Antonio Morales:
