Although it is common to confuse them, in reality cocoa is different from cocoa, although the latter is made from its beans. Find out what they are.
When we talk about chocolate, not only about its most important benefits, properties and qualities, but especially about the different virtues that dark chocolate offers us, it is normal for us to talk about cocoa, since it is obvious that chocolate is made by starting from the processing of the different and different cocoa beans. But what about the so-called cocoa?
The truth is that it is common to confuse them, so that it is very common to refer to cocoa as if it is actually cocoa, when in a certain sense, due to its own production process, and composition, they ultimately turn it into something very different. But what is cocoa and what are its differences then with cocoa?
In order to discover it, it is useful to be clear at first what cocoa consists of, and specifically, what it is or what is known as cocoa. Let’s go for it.
What is cocoa?
With the scientific name of Theobroma Cacao we find the popularly known as the cacao tree; that is to say, the tree that offers us the cocoa fruits, which are later used to make the wonderful and delicious chocolate.
Specifically, it is a tree that can reach 10 meters in height, and normally tends to grow in different tropical regions of America (especially Brazil, Colombia, Mexico or the Dominican Republic)… But it is not the only place in the world where it is grown, since according to the International Cocoa Organization, among the largest cocoa producers we can find the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Ghana, among others.
Its seeds -and fruit grains- are also known by the name of cacao, and it usually gives between 15 to 20 fruits or pods, within which we can find around 60 seeds.
Among the different properties that cocoa gives us, we can mention that it is a useful food to stimulate the nervous system, helping us to improve our mood and “make us” happier, thanks to the fact that it helps to increase the production of endorphins, which are hormones that among other aspects improve our mood.
On the other hand, it also stimulates our digestive system and is a natural relief from constipation. In addition, as many scientific studies have found, it is a food tremendously rich in antioxidants, helping in turn to reduce and prevent the action of free radicals in our body, making it ideal to prevent the degeneration of our cells.
And what is cocoa?
Contrary to popular belief, although cocoa and cocoa are different terms that are often confused, the truth is that cocoa originally comes from cocoa. In fact, we can define cocoa as the powdered chocolate that is made from cocoa beans.
That is to say, for its elaboration, the cocoa beans are fermented and ground, from which the fat is then extracted, dehydrated and a kind of powder commonly known as powdered chocolate is obtained.
It is, therefore, an artificially processed ingredient that is used for commercial use in certain foods and products. For example, it is used to make cakes, chocolate cereals, bars, and spreads.
Therefore, being a processed food, cocoa does not provide nutritional benefits compared to cocoa. On the contrary, it is not only a processed product that has lost all its properties; it also contains additives such as preservatives and refined sugars. For this reason we must always consume dark chocolate, as pure as possible.
