Theobroma cacao

Cocoa beans are obtained from a small tree that grows in the tropical forests of North and South America. Its fruits, i.e., seeds, are used for chocolate, cocoa butter, and liqueurs.

The Mayans revered the cocoa god, and the Aztecs used cocoa as currency. It reached Europe through Spanish conquerors in the 16th century and was the food of the elite and royal courts until the industrial revolution.

Today, cocoa trees are mostly cultivated in Ivory Coast and Ghana.

FLAVOR

Cocoa beans have a nutty and slightly bitter taste and can be eaten raw. Finer cocoa varieties are less bitter and have a taste similar to cooking chocolate.

Roasted cocoa beans range from mild and aromatic to bitter, depending on the roasting time.

USED AS seeds, butter, powder.

PURCHASE AND STORAGE OF COCOA POWDER

It is best to buy it at markets and farms in the Dominican Republic, Ghana, or Madagascar. If you don't have time to travel the world for cocoa beans, you can buy them in specialized stores or supermarkets. Unsweetened cocoa powder is recommended so that sweetness can be controlled.

Cocoa beans can last for two years, but they lose flavor over time. Cocoa powder can last up to a year if stored in a cool and dry place.

CULINARY USE

The most well-known use of cocoa is for chocolate. It is obtained by mixing paste obtained from cocoa beans with cocoa butter and sugar.

Cocoa is an excellent substitute for cooking chocolate and is a common ingredient in paleo desserts.

Cocoa butter is obtained from the fattiest part of the seed, is white in color, and has a rich texture, used for cakes. Removing the fatty part produces cocoa powder used for various desserts, cookies, cakes, and can be added to smoothies or coffees. It enhances the flavor with oat cereals and is a favorite ingredient for truffle cakes, brownies, and sprinkling on pancakes.

IT GOES WELL WITH fruit, cakes, pancakes, mint, chicken, macadamia nuts, coffee, black tea.

Not Alkalized.