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Chocolate has one of the longest journeys of any pantry staple.
It begins as a bitter seed tucked inside a tropical pod and, depending on how it's treated, can end up as cacao powder, cocoa powder, or a chip that melts into your cookies.
Let's clear up any confusion about chocolate, so you know exactly what you're going for.
Cacao is the less processed, more 'raw' side of chocolate.
Our cacao powder is non-alkalized, meaning it hasn't gone through the Dutch-process that neutralizes acidity. The result is a powder with an earthy, slightly bitter, and deeply chocolatey flavor, along with a higher retention of antioxidants.
Then there are cacao nibs which are crushed pieces of the cacao bean itself. They aren't sweetened, so the flavor is intense, crunchy, and slightly fruity depending on the bean. They can be thought of as nature's unsweetened chocolate chip.
Cocoa powder begins as the same bean, but it's roasted at higher temperatures before grinding. That extra heat mellows the bitterness and gives you the classic chocolate flavor most of us know from hot cocoa and brownies.
Chocolate chips are where cocoa solids meet sugar.
Bittersweet chips usually contain more cocoa solids (around 70% or more), making them darker, richer, and less sweet. They shine in flourless cakes, ganache, or any dessert where you want the chocolate to stand tall.
Semi-sweet chips fall closer to the middle ground, with less cocoa and more sugar. They're sweeter, milder, and exactly what you expect in a classic chocolate chip cookie.
And then we have a third option on the rack: bittersweet coconut sugar chocolate chips. These keep the richness of bittersweet but swap cane sugar for coconut sugar, giving them a gentler sweetness with subtle caramel notes.
Carob looks like cocoa powder, but it comes from a different tree pod and has no caffeine.
Its flavor is naturally sweet, nutty, and toasty. While it's often used as a cocoa substitute, it really has its own personality. Carob works beautifully if you want a mellow, caffeine-free option for baking or drinks.
Someone could easily convince you it's chocolate, that's how similar the flavors are.
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