We’re not talking pronunciation differences à la “tomato”/”to-mah-to” or “potato”/“po-tah-to.” We’re not talking regional differences. There is a distinction worth knowing when using “cocoa” vs. “cacao”; however, do you know what it is?
And when I say “using ‘cocoa’ vs. ‘cacao,’” I suppose I could be talking about usages in a recipe or in a sentence. Subtleties matter here in both circumstances.
Chocolate fans, listen up. Here’s what you need to know:
- “Cacao” is a plant, native to South America. Thus, we could discuss cacao trees, cacao pods, and cacao beans—all usages here in their natural state. But “natural” in itself is a messy word. (Browsing any grocery store can show you that, right?) Let’s just say “cacao” is the term to use when there is no processing with high heat involved.
- “Cocoa” comes from “cacao,” but the original form has been roasted or otherwise exposed to extreme heat. It can still remain in bean form, or it could be further processed (think crushed or mixed with other ingredients) to become cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and countless other varieties.
Let me repeat that: you could indeed have “cacao beans” or “cocoa beans”; it’s just a matter of how much they’ve been tampered with (or not).
Similarly, you could have cacao powder or cocoa powder. “Cocoa powder” is more common, especially in America, as an ingredient in everything from hot chocolate (a.k.a. “hot cocoa”) to candy bars. There are often additives involved in these cocoa-based products like sugar or milk fat, though. “Cacao powder” might be harder to find, but it is simply the powdered form of non-roasted cacao beans. Both “cacao powder” and “cacao nibs,” which are finely chopped cacao beans that could be substituted for a healthier version of “chocolate chips,” might be in the midst of a popularity surge, so it’s certainly worth knowing the difference. It is far more than a hipster spelling trick.
The word “cacao” derives from the Olmec and Mayan word kakaw, but perhaps my favorite etymological tidbit is in the tree’s scientific name: Theobroma cacao. While we know scientific names are in Latin, theobroma is inspired from the Greek words θεος, meaning “god,” and βρῶμα, meaning “food.” So yes, we’re talking “food of the gods” here. There’s a historical tradition with this connection, and it trickled into the scientific classification. Don’t etymology stories like this just make you happy? Or maybe that’s the phenylethylamine in the chocolate having that effect.
Health benefits of “cacao” vs. “cocoa” aside—though, there’s a conversation I’ll absolutely lean into—the differences between these two words are not always correctly distinguished. In fact, if you pay attention, you’ll see them incorrectly written quite frequently. But you, savvy language and chocolate connoisseur, now know the difference.
Bon appétit, and happy writing!
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