Raw Cocoa – What Is It? “Raw” cocoa refers to beans processed at lower temperatures, avoiding traditional roasting. This method preserves more natural flavors but still requires some heat to make the beans palatable. Though raw cocoa retains a higher level of antioxidants, it is an acquired taste, being more astringent and less sweet than roasted varieties.

Overview Cocoa beans are the seeds of the cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao). The beans are used to make chocolate and are a source of many antioxidants.

Cacao Cocoa beans in the fruit of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), the source of cocoa and chocolate. The plant is native to tropical regions of Central and South America but is primarily cultivated in western Africa.

Cocoa is a powder made from roasted, husked, and dried cacao beans, which are the fermented seeds of the cacao tree. The cacao tree stands about 12-25 feet tall and grows naturally in tropical climates.

The whole cocoa beans or cacao beans are edible, but the bean itself is usually transformed into dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, etc. And the white fleshy cacao fruit pulp that surrounds the bean generally isn’t eaten by commercial growers, they just put it straight to fermentation.

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