Theobroma cacao , more commonly know as cacao, refers to the tree that produces cocoa beans. Cocoa is a general term used to refer to the product made from cocoa beans and to the chocolate drinks and flavorings made from cocoa powder.

Cocoa refers to either the dried and partially fermented fatty seeds in the pod of the cacao tree. Cocoa is usually in the form of cocoa powder made from grinding the seed and removing the butter. Cacao (rhymes with cow) is the seed found in the pod of a cacao tree. This is this part that includes the butter and is used to make chocolate. See similar questions...

Cacao, Theobroma cacao, is a tropical evergreen tree in the family Byttneriaceae. It is native to Central and South America and is cultivated extensively for its seed, which is the source of COCOA, CHOCOLATE, and cocoa butter. Cacao is a wide-branched evergreen that grows up to 7.5 m (25 ft) tall and bears seedpods up to 30 cm (1 ft) long and 10 cm (4 in) thick, with a hard leathery shell. Pods contain as many as 40 seeds, or beans, some up to 2.5 cm (1 in) wide. See similar questions...

Cocoa is finely pulverised de-fatted, roasted CACAO kernels, to which natural and artificial spices and flavours may be added. It is commercially manufactured by pumping hot CHOCOLATE liquor (semi-liquid ground cacao kernels) into hydraulic cage presses where, under extreme pressure, part of the fat, or cocoa butter, is removed. The fat content of cocoa varies from less than 10% to 22% or more for breakfast or high fat cocoa. See similar questions...

The International Germplasm Database of Cacao drawn up in 1997 includes about 12,500 cacao clones. Its exactness will be tested only when a cost-effective method for the detection of cacao molecular DNA is designed and used as a bar-code for clone identification. Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario are the three leading types of Theobroma cacao. Their difference results from their pod structure, the colour of their beans and the number of beans per pod. See similar questions...

Cocoa is available two ways: 1) "natural"; and 2) "alkalized" which is also known as "dutched" or "dutch process." Natural cocoa has nothing added to it and retains its rich, slightly bitter taste. Alkalized or dutched cocoa uses hydroxide to neutralize the acids in the cocoa, producing a less bitter and smoother taste. Both taste profiles are useful and recipes will often specify one type or the other, especially for baked items. For AH!LASKA products, we use only natural cocoa. Back to top See similar questions...

The cacao tree makes fruit following a constant cycle and generally it provides two harvesting periods: before and after the rainy seasons. It takes about 6 months from pollination for a tree to produce ripe fruit. The world average harvesting is lower than 3 million tons per year. About 80% of worldwide cacao is grown in 1 to 2-hectare plantations. The yield per hectare changes a lot. See similar questions...

Peel them with your fingernails or a knife. Soaking them in cold water for 30 mintues makes peeling easier then: Freeze a blend of cacao beans and a sweetner of your choice (agave, maple syrup, raw honey etc.). Eat cold Raw, organic, wild, whole shelled beans, cacao butter and cacao powder now available here. Buy Trial Packs of all cacao products and get FREE vanilla massive beans here. Chocolate begins with a bean ... a cacao bean. It has been mashed and eaten for centuries. See similar questions...

No. Dutch processed cocoa has an alkalizing agent similar to baking soda added to neutralize the natural acidity of cocoa. It has a more mellow flavor and a darker color. See similar questions...

Many people don't realize that cocoa and therefore chocolate products deliver many naturally occurring compounds similar to other foods in a healthy, plant-based diet. Some of these beneficial compounds are minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and copper. Much of the current research is focused on another group of compounds called flavanols. Because of their molecular structure, many compounds in the flavanol family can act as antioxidants. See similar questions...

Our cocoa goes through a special process called "Dutching". This is an alkaline treatment of the cocoa bean center prior to grinding, which neutralizes the bitter, acid flavor found in natural cocoa. We prefer this smoother chocolate taste in our products. TOP See similar questions...

Cocoa butter is the natural, cream-colored vegetable fat extracted from cocoa beans during the process of making chocolate and cocoa powder. Even though the word "butter" is in its name, it does not contain dairy ingredients of any kind. Back to Top See similar questions...

Terra Nostra Organic uses cacao from places all around the world. Some areas are New Guinea, Peru, Ghana, Mexico, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic to name a few. See similar questions...

The cacao tree, Theobroma cacao, is a tropical species having its natural habitat in the lower layer of the rainy forest. All wild-growing cacao species live between the 18°N and the 15°S, in regions characterized by heavy rains (125 to 180 cm per year), high and quite even temperature (18/21°C to 30/32°C), high humidity (70 to 100%) and thick shade. See similar questions...