“Overall, they’re nutritionally very similar,” says Jamie Nadeau, RD, a registered dietitian in Providence, Rhode Island. But when it comes to processing and use, there are some key differences.
Cacao
Both cocoa and cacao are made from Theobroma cacao, a tropical evergreen tree found in the rainforests of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins.
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However, cacao refers to minimally processed forms of the cacao plant, says Seattle-based registered dietitian and recipe developer Jennifer Pallian, RD.
Common forms include fermented and dried beans, nibs (small pieces of the cacao bean), cacao butter (made from fat from the bean), and cacao powder, which is processed at lower temperatures compared with cocoa, she says. These can be used in recipes in various ways, such as sprinkling cacao nibs into yogurt or adding cacao powder to a smoothie.
As cacao is less processed, its flavor is more intense and bitter than cocoa. “Think intensely chocolatey without any sweetness,” Pallian says. It also retains a high amount of flavanols, which are antioxidants (healthful compounds) that may reduce the risk of heart disease.
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Cocoa
Cocoa is made from roasted cacao, and it undergoes more processing. Roasted cacao is pressed to remove some of the fat, and then milled into cocoa powder. This process enhances flavor but reduces the amount of flavanols, Pallian says.
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You’ll see two different labels on cocoa at the store, says Pallian:
- Natural Cocoa Powder This is the least-processed type of cocoa powder. It has a reddish-brown hue and features a sharp, acidic flavor. It also tends to have more antioxidants compared with Dutch-processed cocoa (more on this below).
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- Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder This label indicates that the cocoa has been treated (alkalized) to reduce its acidity, resulting in a darker color with a smoother, more brownie-like flavor. Alkalinization has also been shown to decrease the antioxidant content of cocoa.
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Cocoa powder can also be sweetened with sugar or powdered milk, as it is in hot cocoa mix. Adding these ingredients doesn’t reduce the nutrients in cocoa itself, but it does add sugar and calories.
