A customer asked me this today and for a while I was stumped? Is there a difference?

There’s been a growing trend over the last few years for raw cacao. Packed with antioxidant goodness it’s a greatsource of iron and magnesium, which support healthy heart function.

Chocolate also contains “feel-good” chemicals such as phenylethlamine, tryptophan, and anandamide that naturally occur in the brain and aid a sense of well-being.

But back to the difference. “Cacao” refers to the bean that comes from the cacao tree, Theobroma cacao. These beans are harvested, fermented and dried and often cleaned and roasted, after which point the products are often referred to as “cocoa.” In other words, “cocoa” is what the bean is called after it has been processed.

So in short, if you’re after the raw product, go for ‘cacao’ whereas ‘cocoa’ refers to the processed product.

From our shop:

- Organic Raw Cacao Nibs 125g
- Green & Black’s Organic Cocoa Powder