cocoa: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	cocoa powder

Photos and Videos

Chunks of natural cocoa butter on a wooden board, with a bowl of cocoa beans and scattered beans in the background.

A cocoa farmer in a sleeveless shirt holds a machete and displays an open cocoa pod with raw cocoa beans in a plantation in Kumasi, Ghana.

Hands opening a red cocoa pod on the tree to reveal clusters of soft, white seeds inside. Several whole cocoa pods hang from branches in the background.

liquid chocolate

cocoa powder and cocoa beans

Know about the MIT Laboratory for Chocolate Science dedicated to the science, history, politics, and economics of chocolate

A white woman bites into a chocolate bar.

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

xocoatl Dutch process Cacao chocolate How is chocolate made?tiramisu Cocoa bean flavouring cocoa butter sweetener spice and herb vanilla miso wintergreen sarsaparilla chipotle sassafras

Key People

Cadbury, George

George Cadbury

British businessman

Thomas Lipton

Thomas Lipton

British merchant

Grains and spices in bags, India. (Indian, vendor, market, food)

Ultimate Foodie Quiz

Ceviche. Peruvian ceviche (sebiche). Raw seafood dish with lime, cilantro, peppers, plantains. Cuisine, food

A World of Food Quiz

Slices of lemon pie topped with meringue.

Baking and Baked Goods Quiz

Slices of lemon pie topped with meringue.

Baking and Baked Goods Quiz

Chef tossing vegetables in a frying pan over a burner (skillet, food).

What’s on the Menu? Vocabulary Quiz

Chocolate wrapped in foil

Chocolate Quiz