Hey, hola, hello, hallo!

We are Elisa and JuanRa, founders of VAICACAO 

We didn't choose cacao, cacao chose us!

Elisa and JuanRa met in El Salvador (Central America) in 2012 when Elisa, who is from Italy, was working for UN Women. JuanRa is from an entrepreneurial family in El Salvador, and after studying in the US he went home and got involved with his father's farm as they diversified from coffee to cacao. JuanRa loved being in nature, planting, and seeing growth. Elisa said let's make it a business, and in 2016 they created VAICACAO.

Once the beans arrive by boat, every step of production takes place at a little chocolate factory by the beach in Italy. VAICACAO is located in the town of Olbia, on Sardinia, the Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea which is home of the Costa Smeralda, or Emerald Coast. VAICACAO are the only Ceremonial Cacao and craft chocolate makers in Sardinia, and we are proud to use ethically sourced cacao so that our products give you traceability, authenticity, and flavor.

This is Barnaby, our cooperation partner in Germany.

Barnaby’s journey with cacao began on his birthday in 2018 when he took part in a ceremony lead by Carlota Amargos from Amrita Cacao. (In a collaboration with JuanRa and Elisa, Carlota uses Cuyancùa cacao in her ceremonies). He had never experienced Cacao used for personal growth before and fell in love with the practice, which combined so well with his interests in yoga, song, meditation and community. After trying many wonderful cacaos from around the world, he now distributes VAICACAO’s Ceremonial Cacaos in Germany.