What’s the difference between cocoa and cacao?

It depends on who’s asking. Really and truly!

One thing that’s interesting to note is that the cacao vs. cocoa conundrum is one unique to English. All other languages simply have one word for both the plant behind chocolate and the ingredients derived from it. This tracks with the reality that, historically, there wasn’t a distinction between cocoa and cacao. In fact, the emergence of “cocoa” linguistically is chalked up to a spelling error that was never corrected but in fact adopted more widely as English speakers found it easier to pronounce than “cacao.”

These days the cacao vs. cocoa split tends to happen by context. For example, botanists studying Theobrama cacao talk about cacao trees bearing cacao pods which contain cacao beans (seeds). But the folks who cultivate those trees? They introduce themselves as cocoa farmers who grow cocoa trees, harvest cocoa pods and sell cocoa beans.

Languages, however, evolve, and a new distinction between cocoa and cacao is emerging. It basically comes down to this: after the beans are fermented, cacao is roasted at a very low temperature, whereas cocoa is roasted at a considerably higher temperature. This differential in roasting intensity translates to distinct profiles regarding both flavor and nutrition:

• Cacao is a superfood with a more bitter taste.
• Cocoa is a baking pantry staple with a mellower flavor.

Let’s talk temperature (some more)!

We’ve already established that roasting temperature is the key determinant for the cacao vs. cocoa question, but there’s more to unpack around temperature and chocolate—because regardless of what you call the plant that makes it possible, climate change is thwarting the viability of its growing conditions.

For a bit of context, cacao trees thrive when they receive an annual rainfall between 59 and 79 inches and grow within ambient temperatures that stay within 69°F and 90°F. When plants are forced to grow outside these conditions, individual plant health diminishes and overall yields decline.

So, it’s with a bit of trepidation that we take a look at the data. Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana produce 60% of the world’s cocoa. In both of these countries between 2015 and 2024, there was an average increase of 40 days whose daily temperature exceeded 90°F. That’s more than one month extra each year of temperatures that are inhospitable to cacao plants growing!

The spectrum of implications is vast, from chocolate becoming a luxury good to upended livelihoods for a multitude of farmers. Nearly 600,000 folks in Côte d'Ivoire are cocoa farmers, and in Ghana that number rises to 3.2 million—which shakes out to more than 10% of Ghana’s population earning a paycheck directly from cocoa. Their income (or lack thereof) impacts their family’s ability to eat, attend school, improve their homes and invest in the health of their farms.

Fairtrade farmers are working hard to adapt to growing cacao in a changing climate. Interventions vary, and some are as straightforward as planting shade trees alongside their cacao plants. This diversifies their income, and it provides a more protected growing environment. It’s called dynamic agroforestry—and as farmers adopt it, they’re creating a vibrant, livable future where both decent livelihoods and delicious chocolate treats are possible.