Key Differences Between Cocoa And Cacao That You Must Know

Cacao is the bean-shaped seed from which chocolate is manufactured, and cocoa is a component of chocolate. Cacao will be considered the more accurate or relevant term by the chocolate business and botanists, but cocoa may refer to any of the plant's manufactured products (particularly the powder) as well as the bean itself. Surprisingly, English appears to be the only language with this quandary; all other languages have a single name for all of the plants' various forms.

Cocoa is a well-known ingredient, whether it is used in baking or to produce hot chocolate. Cacao, on the other hand, maybe less well-known. However, with the growing popularity of eating whole, natural foods as well as vegan diets, we are hearing the term more and more with each passing season. It is easy to become confused about the distinction between the two because cocoa and cacao share many similarities, the most important of which is chocolate.

While cacao refers to cacao seeds that have not been roasted, cocoa is derived from roasted cacao beans. As a result, a product called cacao is the raw bean and is frequently packaged as vegan chocolate that has been little processed and has no additives. Cocoa, on the other hand, is a chocolate product that has been processed, such as chocolate bars and powder.

Behind The Word Cacao

Theobroma Cacao is the botanical name for the tree from which chocolate is derived. The word cacao derives from the Olmec people who lived in what is now Mexico, and it is thought to be the closest pronunciation to the plant's original name. Chocolate was then passed down through history from the Olmec to the Mayans to the Spanish. Cacao is the only Hispanic word that has ever been used to describe what English speakers conceive of as cocoa. It is usually assumed that the term cocoa originated from a spelling error—a typo that was never rectified and possibly deemed easier to pronounce—that effectively overtook the proper form.

Use Of Cacao

Cacao has returned to the food scene, thanks in part to a growing interest in the raw vegan food diet. Manufacturers of raw vegan food products have recently adopted the more accurate spelling of the word to differentiate their products from those that contain roasted cacao beans, such as raw cacao powder vs. cocoa powder. However, check the ingredients carefully as the lines between authenticity and contemporary marketing can occasionally blur.

Many cacao recipes begin with cacao nibs, which are dried and fermented cacao beans pulverised into bits or cacao powder. Candied cacao nibs are a wonderful treat made by combining cacao with sugar, water, corn syrup, and butter, or the cacao powder can be used to make a smoothie or a great vegan chocolate bar.