The cocoa bean or simply cocoa (/ˈkoʊ.koʊ/), which is also called the cacao bean or cacao (/kəˈkaʊ/), is the dried and fully fermented seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids (a mixture of nonfat substances) and cocoa butter (the fat) can be extracted.

What makes a caramel a caramel? Vanilla caramels, the type most frequently eaten, are flavored with vanilla; chocolate caramels have a bit of chocolate added to the batch, turning it a deep brown color. However, maple caramels, those with molasses and brown sugar, and cream caramels are other delicious varieties.

No, coffee an chocolate are not related. They come from two very different plants, from two very different continents. Originally coffee comes from Africa and Arabia (actually Ethiopia and Yemen, which are pretty much neighbors), and is now best grown in South America.

Although we regularly use the terms coffee beans and cocoa beans, neither are actually beans. Coffee beans are the pits/seeds of bright red berries, and cocoa beans are seeds from the cocoa pod.

Rich in Polyphenols That Provide Several Health Benefits They have been linked to numerous health benefits, including reduced inflammation, better blood flow, lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol and blood sugar levels ( 1 ). Cocoa is one of the richest sources of polyphenols.

Rare cacao varietals such as Nacional and Porcelana have been found in parts of northern South America, and many people regard those as some of the best cocoa beans in the world. The Caribbean island of Trinidad only grows trinitario cacao, a highly flavorful type of cacao developed on the island hundreds of years ago.

Ecuador

The Ivory Coast and Ghana are by far the two largest producers of cocoa, accounting for more than 50 percent of the world´s cocoa. In 2016, the Ivory Coast alone produced approximately 1.6 million metric tons of cocoa beans.