Cacao

What Is Cacao (coco)?

Cacao is where chocolate gets its start. Chocolate comes from Theobroma cacao, the scientific name for the cacao tree. A small tree native to the Amazon Basin, the cacao tree is now grown in tropical regions like Grenada where our Coco originates from.
The fleshy fruit, or pods, of the cacao tree contains brown seeds often called cacao or cocoa “beans,” though they’re not really legumes.
Cacao beans develop flavor and texture through a fermentation process before they’re processed into either cacao or cocoa powder. Fermenting and roasting cacao is also the first step in making chocolate. People mash the cacao beans into a paste called chocolate liqueur, which they then treat with heat to create cocoa. Cocoa is the key ingredient in most chocolate products.

Here are some ways to use Cacao

Use them in baked goods like muffins and breads.
Blend cacao nibs into homemade nut butters.
Stir them into your morning oatmeal.
Toss cacao nibs into your favorite smoothie
Boil with cinnamon to make hot chocolate tea