Understanding the difference between cacao and cocoa

Cocoa powder (Image: Freepik)

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Cacao vs. cocoa: Understanding the difference

by | 22 October 2024

With the current trend of cooking and baking in a healthier, more conscious way (which I am totally on board for), it can get confusing when a recipe calls for cacao rather than cocoa powder. The next mind-bender is when a product is labelled as raw cacao…

As a dark chocolate lover, always reaching for a deep, rich flavour, I needed to understand the difference behind the street names given. Let’s take it right back to a little history on the tale of the cacao bean.

History


Long before the first chocolate bar was ever made, cacao beans were held in high esteem in the Aztec and Mayan traditions, served up as offerings to their gods and used as money for trading – almost like their local currency.

Cacao beans are typically grown in tropical climates within 20 degrees of the equator, known as the “cacao belt”. In ancient times, the cacao beans were ground down with maize and mixed with water over a low heat, creating a decadent, rich beverage. It could be flavoured with vanilla, allspice, and even black pepper or chilli powder. The Maya believed that cacao was an important ingredient in restoring balance and our connection to the divine.

Long before the first chocolate bar was ever made, cacao beans were held in high esteem in the Aztec and Mayan traditions.

The Spanish added their contribution by sweetening the cacao with sugar and spices. By the 17th century, this decadent beverage spread throughout Europe, selling ground cacao mass in compressed cakes. Up until the 18th century, cacao beans had been ground by hand, passed on from the Mayan tradition. By the late 18th century, manufacturers began to use a steam-powered machine to grind the beans, and in 1828, a Dutch chemist developed a method for turning cacao beans into a powder. This made it easier to produce, package and sell.

The first chocolate bar was created in the 19th century by a British chocolatier, Joseph Fry. He experimented by mixing together cocoa powder, sugar and cocoa butter to make a smooth paste. This paste was poured into moulds and set into solid chocolate bars. Fry’s chocolate bars were the first to be manufactured for the masses, making chocolate easily accessible to the public. From here, chocolate bars were further refined by chocolatiers such as John Cadbury and Milton S. Hershey, each adding their own flavours and creative flair.

Cacao vs. cocoa


So to loop back to the difference between cacao powder and cocoa powder it’s useful to understand the journey this ancient, adorned ingredient has been through in order to make its way into our treat cupboard at home. Simply put, cacao is the less processed form of the cocoa bean, whereas cocoa powder is roasted at a much higher heat and supplemented with additives to cut the bitterness.

Cacao is the less processed form of the cocoa bean, whereas cocoa powder is roasted at a much higher heat and supplemented with additives.

Raw cacao


It’s up for debate whether cacao powder can technically be claimed as raw, as all cocoa beans have to be roasted to a certain temperature to kill off bacteria found in tropical climates. Is it safe to say that cacao is roasted at a much lower temperature and tends to maintain more of the nutritional properties that these wondrous beans have to offer.

Nutrition


Some of these benefits include supporting heart health and lowering blood pressure by improving blood circulation. The flavonoids in cacao are potent antioxidants, having a positive effect on brain function, reducing anxiety, and having mood-boosting effects by increasing the production of serotonin. These health benefits are received by consuming a higher percentage of cocoa – 70% dark chocolate and above – containing less sugar.

For good reason, the humble cocoa bean has been held in high esteem for centuries and its evolution from ceremonial offerings to, nowadays, a treat at the end of a meal elicits the same luxurious sensation of indulgence.

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