⚡ Quick summary
The word cacao is used to refer to the Theobroma cacao species of tree, which produces edible seeds used in popular foods and drinks. The word cocoa is typically used to refer to a powder made from ground cacao seeds and a popular drink made by mixing this powder with hot milk or water. Cacao seeds, typically in the form of cocoa powder, are the main ingredient of chocolate.
If you are a chocolate lover, you likely know that chocolate is somehow related to cocoa powder and cacao seeds. But what do the words cacao and cocoa really mean? Are they used to talk about the same things, or are they used differently?
In this article, we’ll define what the words cacao and cocoa mean, explain the history of these two related words, and break down how cocoa is different from (but still essential to) chocolate.
What’s the difference between cocoa and cacao?
The word cacao, pronounced [ kuh–kah-oh ] or [ kuh–key-oh ], is used to refer to the Theobroma cacao species of tree. This tree, which is often referred to as the cacao tree or cocoa tree, is the source of an edible seed that is commonly used in several popular foods and drinks. The name cacao comes through Spanish from the Nahuatl word cacahuatl, a name for the seeds of the cacao tree.
The word cocoa, pronounced [ koh-koh ], is used to refer to a powder made by grinding the seeds from the cacao tree. The word cocoa is also commonly used to refer to the tree itself, as well as to a popular beverage made by mixing cocoa powder with hot milk or water.
The word cocoa emerged as one of several variants of the word cacao, which is why the two words look and sound so similar and are both used to refer to the same tree. Today, both cacao and cocoa are used as common names of the tree, but only cocoa is also used to refer to foods and drinks made from the seeds of the cacao tree. The emergence of cocoa as an alternative of cacao was first recorded around the 1670s.
Cocoa beans (which are actually cacao seeds) are the main ingredient used to make chocolate. Typically, chocolate is made by mixing liquidized cocoa with sugar and vanilla, as well as with other ingredients such as milk, nuts, and fruit.
Like the word cacao, the word chocolate comes through Spanish from the Nahuatl language. Originally, the Spanish word chocolate was used to refer to a drink made from cacao seeds. The Spanish word chocolate comes from the Nahuatl word chocolātl, which has an unknown meaning.
