Cacao vs Cocoa – Is there any difference?

Okay, by now you know that I do love my raw chocolate, and chocolate ‘treats’.  You have seen cacao powder or butter in my recipes.  Many of you are wondering what the difference between cocoa and cacao is, or are simply thinking I keep getting the letters around the wrong way.  The simple explanation is that cocoa and cacao are the same thing…and yet very different.

Grown on the Theobroma Cacao tree (translating to cacao, food of the gods) are the fruit – cacao pods.  Each pod contains 40-60 seeds.  Once picked, these then undergo a 1-2 week natural fermentation and drying process, resulting in raw cacao beans.  These can then be peeled and crushed to create cacao nibs, or peeled and cold-pressed to result in cacao powder.

To make cocoa powder the beans are roasted and processed.  Unfortunately the high heat reduces the levels of antioxidants and minimises the powerful health benefits in unprocessed raw cacao.  It is then often combined with sugar and unhealthy fats and processed even further to make the chocolate that adorns the supermarket shelves.

Put simply: Cacao beans, nibs and powder are in their raw state, uncooked and unprocessed, unrefined, no added sugar, dairy, no chemicals, no nasty fillers.  Cocoa powder on the other hand has been cleaned, roasted and processed, stripping it of a significant amount of the naturally occurring anti-oxidants and nutrients.

Raw cacao is considered a superfood due to the high density of essential nutrients it contains, very few side-affects and proven health benefits.  It contains:

• magnesium in decent levels (magnesium aids with muscle tension and menstrual cramping, as well as helping regulate blood pressure, assist with diabetes, depression, migraines…)
• good levels of zinc (very important for the immune system and skin health), iron (28g cacao = 300% RDI of iron), calcium, sulfur, copper, potassium and manganese
• vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B9 and E, with smaller amounts of vitamin A and C
• Oleic acid – the monounsaturated heart-healthy fat
• protein
• fibre
• high levels of antioxidants (in the form of polyphenols called flavonoids) – by weight cacao has more anti-aging antioxidants than blueberries, goji berries, red wine and acai berries combined!

A significant amount of nutrient goodness is lost after being heated and processed, so to get the full benefit I stick to raw cacao.

Cacao has a slightly more bitter flavor than cocoa.  Teamed with some coconut oil and natural sweetener such as raw honey it makes the most delicious and nourishing homemade chocolate.  And just you wait for my choco-berry banana bread!

What is your favourite cacao recipe?

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