Difference between Cacao and Cocoa

Have you ever wondered about the difference between Cacao and Cocoa? Or even wondered if there even exists any difference?

While you are out doing your grocery shopping, there is one thing that your line of vision automatically falls on – the aisle of chocolates. Sometimes on discount, perfectly placed at the entrance of the store, it almost feels like there’s something pushing you to pick it up.

After all, is there anything more tempting for most of us than a delicious bar of chocolate?

But every rose has its thorn and every craving of an overload of cocoa, can increase the caffeine content in your body causing gastrointestinal issues among other problems like heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

An alternative to your irresistible chocolate cravings is turning to cacao. But little do we know about what this alternative is and why it proves to be equally tasty and even more beneficial than cocoa when it comes to the array of health benefits it offers.

What is Cacao?

Derived from cacao beans, cacao is known to be chocolate in its purest and raw form. Both cacao and cacao start as beans that are derived from the cacao plant and separated as cacao butter from its fatty part. Cacao products include cacao paste, cacao butter, and the most popular form which is cacao powder.

No, It’s Not Just Chocolate

Now, besides the difference in vowel placement, what is the difference between cacao and cocoa you ask?

• The simple point of difference is that the cocoa in our chocolates is nothing but raw cacao roasted at high temperatures.
• This effect of roasting the raw cacao bean results in a change in its molecular structure and thus brings down its overall nutritional value and vitiates its health benefits.

Health Benefits Of Raw Cacao

Multiple studies prove the health benefits of chocolate but the chocolates tested are not store-bought ones but high quantities of dark chocolate which contains cacao powder. Cacao has a handful of health benefits that win us over cocoa.

• Cacao products contain disease-fighting ingredients such as flavonoids, which have cancer-fighting, heart-protective and antioxidant properties
• It has 30 times the antioxidants of blueberries and four times that of goji berries
• One teaspoon of cacao powder contains 15% of the daily recommended iron requirement of the body
• Cacao contains omega-6-fatty acids that help to maintain skin health and prevent skin damage from free radicals
• It aids in weight loss by boosting the body’s metabolism to help assimilate fat better
• Cacao contains an amino acid, tryptophan. It helps produce more serotonin in the body and thus acts as an effective mood enhancer
• It is one of the richest source of magnesium and antioxidant levels among all foods
• They prove to be an excellent source of natural carbohydrates, vitamins, cholesterol-free fats, protein, and monounsaturated fats that make cacao a potent superfood

How To Eat Cacao Powder

Though cacao can range from a scale of varieties, the most commonly used form is cacao powder. Our cacao powder is a specially hand-ground mix of the best quality beans collected from a small farm in the Idukki district of Kerala. Our Cacao powder is sourced from a farm where cacao buds are grown and harvested manually without using any chemicals!

After the beans are collected, they are dried and cleaned. Then, the cacao butter is removed and the residue powder is ground at low temperatures to maintain its potency.

You can use our Cacao powder to –

• Add a tablespoon of our cacao powder to your milkshake for a boost of rich chocolate flavor
• Add a spoon to your baking batter to make some delicious cakes
• For a chocolatey treat, sprinkle it on some fruits such as bananas and apples
• Spread it all over your bread as a healthy replacement for Nutella
• Make some healthy cacao chocolate pancakes for breakfast or as an evening snack
• Add it to your yummy hot coffee, deserts, or hot chocolate

Elevate Your Health Scene With Cacao

Reading through the differences between cocoa and cacao and the benefits of cacao over cocoa, It is clear why Cacao powder is taking the health arena like a storm. Now that you have some real evidence of the power of cacao as a superfood, what are you waiting for?

Order some Cacao powder, add it to your recipes and enjoy the magical potency it adds to your health scene!

Shop link for our raw cacao powder: https://homegrownplatter.in/product/cacao-powder-for-coffee-shakes-chocolate/