Linguistically, the cacao and cocoa are entirely interchangeable. But due to the more botanical connection of 'cacao,' it has a much more healthy and natural connotation. 'Cocoa,' on the other hand, thanks to its historical usage in Africa and Asia, where mostly low-quality cacao is grown,...
Inside the fruit, a few dozen cacao beans are coated in a slimy white substance. Their pulp is sweet and tasty, but it’s what’s inside them that ultimately makes the magic happen. Cacao is interesting because, like coffee, the tree prefers shady spots. It’s also quite finicky, prefer...
Coffee bushes grow up to 3.5 meters tall and are found in wild form only in Ethiopia. The bushes bear fruit, which we call coffee cherries. Coffee beans are the seeds of these cherries. Unlike local cherries, the kernel consists of two parts or two coffee beans. ...
To begin, the cocoa comes from the cacao tree, which is grown in the South American and African continents and the country of Indonesia. Once the pods are ripe and red, they are harvested and the white cocoa beans are removed. Following a period of fermentation, they are then laid out ...
Thinking of Hawaii, it's not likely that the word “cold” comes to mind. But in the chocolate industry, the state is considered the North Pole of Cacao—it’s the coldest place in the world where cacao can be grown. It's also the only state in the U.S. that can support commercia...
There are just three main varieties of cacao bean: Forastero is the most commonly grown bean by far because it's the hardiest tree and yields the most beans. Its beans also have the strongest chocolate flavor. Criollo falls on the other end of the spectrum. It's known for a more comp...
It takes about five years before a cacao tree is mature enough to start producing beans, and the plants remain fragile in the first few years of their life, he says. All the while, consumers continue to demand chocolate, with Statista Market Insights projecting volume in the chocolate con...
Direct Cacao is an organisation of chocolate makers and industry professionals who have come together to source cocoa beans directly from the farmers. They not only commit to paying a premium, but the close involvement with the farmer gives them a say in how beans are treated at every stage ...
It is stated that the culinary trend for high-quality, single-origin and estate-grown chocolates has sparked interest in just how this complex foodstuff is made. Cacao beans are roasted much like coffee beans at temperatures of 300...
Flexible Recipe: whatever cocoa product you have on hand, from whole cacao beans to some old cocoa powder, it can be brewed to extract that delectable cacao flavor for tea (detailed below). Low-Calorie Chocolate Drink: no matter which tea you use or flavors you add to the mix, sweetener...