Otti in Tulum: Ritual Blends, Herbs, and the Experience of Cacao

After visiting Vaivén, I continued exploring other cacao-focused cafés in Tulum and stopped at Otti, a shop that has been operating since 2020 and has become a popular destination for cacao drinks. At 8:30 in the morning there was already a line of about seven people waiting to order, and the flow of customers continued while I was there. Clearly, this place has built a strong following.

The menu at Otti reveals a different model of cacao service. None of the drinks appear to be based on 100 percent cacao alone. Instead, most offerings are pre-formulated blends, prepared from small pellets (“pelotitas”) that already contain cacao mixed with various ingredients. These pellets are then blended into drinks using the machines and blenders visible behind the counter.

When I asked about the cacao itself, the staff explained that it comes from Chiapas. They were not able to confirm whether it was single-origin or identify the varietal, such as Criollo, Forastero, or Trinitario. As with many cafés, the focus here appears to be on the final beverage rather than the detailed traceability of the cacao.

One drink on the menu, called “Ritual,” is described as roasted cacao from the Soconusco region, prepared during the full moon by a circle of women in Ajijic, Jalisco and sweetened with honey. This language reflects a ceremonial narrative that is common in cacao culture today, where symbolism and storytelling play a large role in how the drink is presented.

I also tried the most expensive item on the menu, the “Blue Lotus,” priced at 380 pesos. According to the description, it combines white cacao with lion’s mane, blue lotus, ashwagandha, cordyceps, lavender, and tulsi. The staff mentioned that the blue lotus is sourced through a woman who imports it from Egypt. The drink is topped with cacao nibs and served as a richly layered herbal blend.

From a sensory perspective, however, the dominant flavors came from the herbs rather than the cacao itself. The blue lotus and other botanicals shaped most of the aromatic and flavor experience, while the cacao remained more in the background. The nibs added texture and a reminder of the cacao base, but the drink overall felt closer to a botanical tonic than to a cacao tasting.

This reveals something important about how cacao is being served in many places in Tulum. The emphasis is not necessarily on evaluating cacao itself, its origin, or its fermentation. Instead, the focus is on creating elaborate beverages that combine cacao with herbs, spices, mushrooms, and symbolic narratives.

In this sense, Otti functions less as a cacao processing space and more as a preparation bar for cacao-based drinks. The cacao itself arrives already processed and blended, and the café’s role is to transform those mixtures into visually appealing and flavorful beverages.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/80d52d_fbb35ee7277d44cd87e2df4e52c3dc2f/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Ritual cacao at Otti in Tulum, served alongside a cacao protein ball. The drink is described as roasted cacao from the Soconusco region, sweetened with honey and presented as part of a ceremonial blend.

None of this is inherently negative. The drinks are carefully presented, the atmosphere is inviting, and the shop clearly resonates with many people. But it represents a particular approach to cacao: one where the experience is defined by the blend, the ritual language, and the ambiance rather than by the cacao bean itself.

For someone interested in understanding cacao more deeply—its origin, fermentation, and sensory complexity—this distinction is worth noticing.