the dried seeds of a South American evergreen tree (Theobroma cacao of the family Sterculiaceae) that are most commonly used in making cocoa, chocolate, and cocoa butter -- called also cacao bean, and cocoa bean.
Cacao has long been enjoyed for its healthful and invigorating properties in Mexican, Central, and South American cultures dating back to Mayan cultures believing that the special food was a food their gods thrived upon. In fact, so impressed were the Mayans with cacaos taste and its ability to promote energy, cacao paste was frequently used in sacred rituals, and an annual festival was held to entirely devoted to honoring the cacao god. Today, we continue to celebrate the bean of the cacao plant as the nutritional and flavorful source for all chocolate and cocoa products.
Cacao contains a naturally rich supply of antioxidants, and is also an excellent source of dietary fiber. In addition, cacao is known to be one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium, boasts an impressively high iron content, and possesses many other essential minerals in significant quantities.
Ask most people to think about chocolate, and watch a smile instantly appear. Being the ingredient that all chocolate is made from, raw cacao can take commercialized chocolate to a whole new level through the alchemy of homemade chocolate confections. For both the true chocolateer and health seeker alike, theres so much that can be done with this incredible food. Raw cacao when paired with sweet foods of any kind -- including raw nectars and syrups, dried fruit, or as a special addition to a dessert recipe cacaos beloved chocolate intensity comes to life, providing enjoyment in boundless variations.