Is cacao actually different from cocoa? The honest answer is a little less tidy than social media makes it sound.
Do cacao and cocoa come from different plants?
No. Both ultimately come from Theobroma cacao. In everyday marketing, “cacao” often describes less-processed products while “cocoa” often describes more conventionally processed powder, but those words are not a perfect scientific dividing line.
So what should I look for instead?
Look at what happened to the ingredient. One major processing step is alkalization, also called Dutch processing. It changes color and flavor, but studies have also found reductions in naturally occurring cocoa flavanols and polyphenols.
What does Rockin’ Wellness use?
Chocolate Cacao and Mocha Cacao use real raw organic cacao rather than alkalized cocoa.
So when we say “real cacao,” we are not trying to win a spelling contest. We are talking about what we chose not to do to it.
Always Real, Raw, Organic Cacao. Never Alkalized.
