Highlights
1. The main difference between cacao and cocoa lies in their states: cacao refers to the unprocessed bean of the cacao plant, while cocoa is the finished product after processing.
2. Cacao contains more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants compared to cocoa. It also has lower calorie and carbohydrate content but higher fat content.
3. Cocoa is often used in the production of chocolate, as it is added to milk and other ingredients to form chocolate.
Introduction
Cacao and cocoa are often used interchangeably to refer to chocolate, but they actually have different meanings. While both come from the cacao plant, the main difference lies in their states.
Cacao
Cacao refers to the unprocessed bean of the cacao plant. It is not cooked or processed, and retains its natural vitamins and minerals, such as calcium and iron. However, these nutrients are lost once cacao is processed.
Cocoa
Cocoa is the processed form of cacao. The cacao beans are dried, fermented, and processed into various items like cocoa butter or chocolate liquor. Cocoa is often added to milk and other ingredients to make chocolate, or it can be powdered to make cocoa powder.
Difference between Cacao and Cocoa
The main difference between cacao and cocoa is their state – cacao is unprocessed, while cocoa is processed. Cacao has a higher ORAC value, or antioxidant content, with about 95000, compared to cocoa powder which has a value of 26000. Cacao also has lower calorie and carbohydrate content, but higher fat content compared to cocoa. However, most of the nutritional content is lost during processing.
In summary, cacao and cocoa are two products of the cacao plant that are used to make chocolate. Cacao is the unprocessed bean and contains more nutrients and antioxidants. Cocoa is the processed form and is commonly used in chocolate production.
