Ruk’u’x U’lew, “Heart of the Earth” Ceremonial Cacao

Ruk’u’x U’lew is ceremonial cacao in its most authentic form, crafted with love, devotion and quiet ritual by a Mayan women’s collective on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. The name comes from the Kaqchikel dialect and means “Heart of the Earth”, a tribute to the land, the ancestors and the spirit of cacao itself.

This cacao carries the lineage of its founders, especially Cecilia, a Mayan mother and medicine-keeper who began this collective to support the women in her community while honouring her ancestral traditions. Every step of the process is performed with intention and care: the beans are hand-selected after harvest, fermented in banana leaves and roasted over an open wood fire, just as their grandmothers did. Each bean is then peeled by hand, accompanied by stories, songs and prayer.

The result is a cacao with a soft toasted aroma, a warm, traditional flavour and a deeply grounding energy, cacao as it has been prepared for millennia in the highlands of Guatemala.

Cecilia describes her craft simply:
“I start roasting the cacao beans at 4 am. At this hour I receive the clearest messages. I see how the spirit of cacao connects all the people who work with it.”

In Mayan cosmology, cacao has long been known as the “food of the gods.” It is said that cacao leaves the forest only when humanity is out of balance, returning to guide us back into harmony. Before it begins its journey, each batch of Ruk’u’x U’lew cacao is blessed in Guatemala, carrying with it the prayers and intentions of the women who create it.

Product Details

• 100% pure ceremonial cacao (Original Trinitario variety)

• Origin: Highlands of Guatemala

• Naturally gluten-free and vegan

• Weight: 1 lb / 454 g block

• Appearance may vary slightly depending on season and natural fat crystallisation

• Store in a cool, dry, dark place

Ruk’u’x U’lew is cacao at its most sacred, a heart-opening, feminine, earthy medicine born from community, ritual and the living memory of Mayan ancestry.