Walking down the chocolate aisle at the supermarket, you’ve likely noticed cocoa or cacao labeled on different chocolate products. You’ve probably also seen cacao nibs and dark chocolate cocoa chips at a health food store and wondered how they differ. They’re all just chocolate, right? Well, not really. Although they are both derived from the same plant, there are many differences between cacao vs. cocoa products.
Cacao (pronounced ke-kow) and cocoa (pronounced kow-kow) are made using different processes and have distinct nutritional profiles. Many people are familiar with cocoa as it is commonly used in baking desserts and making hot chocolate. Cacao, on the other hand, is a raw chocolate product that is popular with health-conscious, vegan, and whole-food consumers.