Description
#56 Bobinsana Chocolate Rapé | Mapacho free | Wild Amazonian Arriba Nacional | Fine Aroma Cacao
This rapé is made from ash from Bobinsana and Cacao. This Ecuadorian Bobinsana Chocolate Rapé is a lovely and gentle energizer. This is a mild snuff, profound and full of light!
Bobinsana Chocolate Rapé was made in the Chocó region of the Ecuadorian Andes foothills. Where lowlands meet the cloud rainforests and the rivers flow pristine from the highlands. This is exactly the place where our Waking Herbs family project is blossoming while the hummingbirds fly around us. This blend was made with all the love and lofty intentions from all of us so that you can find clarity, abundance, and joy.
Fifty-year old Cacao trees
Our Bobinsana Chocolate Rapé is a unique rapé prepared with the highest grade fine aroma cacao (Theobroma cacao) variety native to the Ecuadorian Amazon forest but that is now grown in the Chocó Region at 700 m.a.s.l. For this rapé, we were granted permission by some lovely indigenous families to harvest the cacao pods from their private grove of trees planted by their grandparents over 50 years ago.
Once the beans were fermented, dried, and roasted we removed the cocoa butter in order to work only with the finest dried dark powder.
Guaba (Inga edulis)
As a booster for this rapé, we used the bark from an adult Guaba tree. This tree is a Fabaceae pioneering tree popular among many forest animals like toucans and monkeys. They love to feed on the long pods that have a white sweet pulp inside. It is no surprise that in English this fruit is called ice cream fruit. The bark of the tree contains lots of calcium which makes it a great source of rapé ash.
Bobinsana
The third ingredient of our Bobinsana Chocolate Rapé is Bobinsana or Calliandra angustifolia of the Fabaceae botanical family also, and the mimosa subfamily. A wonderful heart-opening plant whose dark green leaves are great energizers. We harvest these leaves along the banks of the many small creeks in the higher Ecuadorian Amazon basin.
Bobinsana is a water-loving shrubby tree with delicate pink flowers that attract hummingbirds. It is usually found growing along the river banks and streams. The tree is about 4 to 6 meters high when mature. Other names for this powerful plant are yutzo, chíparo, koprupi, shawi, kuanti, yopoyo, balata, capabo among others.
Native to South America, C. angustifolia is famous in the Amazon due to its medicinal properties. While in Ecuador, Indians prepare a decoction of its roots as a stimulant for strength and energy, the Peruvians prepare a bark tincture that helps in dealing with arthritis, rheumatism, bone pains and colds. Moreover, in Peruvian herbal medicine, its bark decoction is considered to be a contraceptive.
What is Rapé?
Rapé, pronounced ‘ha-pey’ in Portuguese, is a traditional snuff used by various indigenous tribes of South America. Predominantly tribal people from Brazil and Peru. Rapé blends contain a ground mixture of plants, tree bark, seeds, and ash. The fine powder is blown into each nostril through a bone or bamboo pipe called a ‘Tepi’ or ‘Kuripe’. The Tepi applicator is a long blow pipe that connects the nostril of the receiver to the mouth of the person that administers the snuff. The Kuripe is for self-application. The V-shaped applicator connects the nostril to the mouth allowing the snuff to be self-blown into the nose.
Each tribe has its own rapé formula and usually, it is women who gather the ingredients. The selection, mixture, and grinding process are regarded as a ritual only to be performed by a reputable healer. The snuff is typically made in small batches according to the specific needs of the person being treated or the ceremony’s occasion.
The use of Rapé aims to restore our connection to nature and a sense of grounding. It clears mental fog and confusion eliminating negative thought patterns. These powerful snuffs bring about physical and spiritual wellness.
Read more:
Step by step guide to using Rapé.
What is Rapé – Waking Herbs blog
