Cacao Lavado or Unfermented Cacao
Chocolate comes from xocoatl (meaning 'bitter water' in Nahuatl), referring to the fact that it was originally a drink and that it was unsweetened, as sugar was unknown in the Americas until the arrival of Europeans.
“Cacao lavado” has been the traditional method of processing cacao in Mexico since time immemorial. Farmers crack the pods right after harvest, extract the wet beans, and wash them manually with baskets to remove the cacao pulp. The beans are then sun-dried, developing the distinct reddish, uniform color of “cacao lavado.”
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This cacao is not fermented, making it unsuitable for classic eating chocolate due to its higher astringency and bitterness. However, this becomes an advantage in drinking chocolate and coffee-based mochas, where subtle flavors can be diluted. This ancient Mesoamerican method preserves all the polyphenols, flavonoids, catechin, epicatechin, and other bioactive compounds that are lost during fermentation. These compounds, often mistakenly associated with dark chocolate in general, are found in fresh cacao beans and remain intact only in dark chocolate made with lavado cacao.
CACAO LAVADO, MEXICO
The flavor profile of cacao lavado is influenced not only by the genetics of the beans but also by the altitude of the farm.
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Due to its minimal processing, it reveals its inherently nutty, citrusy, and earthy notes, along with varying degrees of bitterness and astringency. Generally, the higher the altitude of the growing region, the stronger the flavor. Unlike 'eating' chocolate, when enjoying cacao lavado as a drink, other factors come into play, such as the type of milk or water you use, the quantity of pure chocolate you add, how you sweeten it (if at all), and any extra ingredients like cinnamon, chiles, or vanilla that you use to spice it up.
Much like coffee tasters valuing arabica and robusta on different scales, fermented and unfermented cacao can't be judged by the same standards. The thing is, we need to write the standards for lavado from scratch, as there are none. But one thing is certain: if this tradition has survived for so many millennia, it's because Mesoamerican civilizations were onto something—and it's been a long journey back to the origin of chocolate.
