What’s the difference between cacao and cocoa?

Image credit: Villa Andina Farm where the cacao in our Mushroom Chocolate is sourced from.

Cocoa is likely what you’re most familiar with. It’s the chocolatey product in most hot cocoa mixes, milk chocolate bars, dark chocolate bars, sauces, ice cream, and almost every other sweet chocolate confection lining grocery store shelves.

Cocoa is cacao that has been processed with high heat. This heating process typically destroys most nutritional value that the raw cacao had, including the antioxidant properties, but gives cocoa its slightly sweeter flavor. 

Add to this further refining, added stabilizers and preservatives, milk fat, and plenty of added sugar to give cocoa its “cocoa-ness,” and the end result is a far cry from its original form. 

You may see two varieties of cocoa powder available at the store. Dutch-processed cocoa powder is popular among bakers and sustains further processing for a less acidic end result. Natural cocoa powder, on the other hand, is slightly less processed but more acidic and less baker friendly.

If you’re looking for a sweet treat and don’t care about the nutritional value (hey, we’ve all been there), cocoa (or a product made with it) might be just what you’re looking for. However, if it’s chocolate’s famous nutritional properties and natural, slightly bitter taste you seek, cacao is the better option.

Opt for organic. Cacao is an extremely pesticide-sprayed crop and going pesticide-free here is more important than ever.

Choose products made with heirloom Criollo variety beans, if possible. This is the original cacao variety and much better than the mass-produced, higher yield Forastero or the hybridized Trinitario varieties.

Buy products where sugar is not the first ingredient. While flavor is important, you want to buy the magical powers of cacao and not processed milk and sugar.

Choose cacao products that contain other superfoods. Cacao, just like coffee, is a powerful vehicle to deliver other nutrients to your body. Adaptogenic herbs and functional mushrooms would be the ideal pick, but don’t sleep on sea salt, turmeric, ginger, or cayenne.