There’s no doubt that cacao beans are the most famous part of the cacao fruit. That’s because they give us cacao’s most well-known product: chocolate! More recently, cacao nibs – small, crushed up bits of cacao beans – have become popular in wellness circles as more and more people discover the health benefits of cacao. But where do cacao beans and nibs actually come from, and are they really as good for you as some people claim?
Spanish conquistador Don Hernán Cortés was the first to bring raw cacao beans to Europe in the middle of the 16th century, but the true history of cacao goes back much, much further. The cacao tree is native to the region once called Mesoamerica, which we now know as Central America. The Aztecs and the Maya were the first to cultivate cacao, and they used the cacao beans primarily to make a chocolate drink that was consumed during ceremonial or ritual occasions. They called it “the drink of the Gods,” a name which persists today in the form of the genus name of the cacao tree, Theobroma.
The creation of trade routes and human migration patterns allowed for the spread of the cacao plant across South America, and eventually to the Caribbean islands. When European colonists arrived in the region, they brought cacao saplings with them to West Africa and Southeast Asia. Today, West Africa is responsible for two-thirds of the world’s cacao production, though Central and South America are still reputed for their high-quality cacao beans.
The process of transforming cacao beans into chocolate has changed quite a bit since the original fermentation process used by the Maya and the Aztecs, when the result was a bitter chocolate drink. While raw cacao beans can be eaten alone – or made into raw cacao nibs – in order to make chocolate, the beans need to undergo a multi-step process.
You don’t have to eat a bar of chocolate a day to enjoy the health benefits of cacao beans (though we won’t try to stop you!). There are plenty of ways to work more cacao into your regular diet – cacao nibs are a great place to start! Cacao nibs are suitable for just about any diet you can imagine. They’re naturally vegan, keto-friendly, and gluten and sugar-free.
The short answer is yes, cacao beans and cacao nibs are essentially the same thing! Cacao nibs are simply cacao beans that have been crushed up into smaller pieces during the winnowing step of the chocolate making process. Once the beans are winnowed, the resulting nibs are usually ground into a paste that is eventually refined and tempered into chocolate. However, the cacao nibs are perfectly edible and healthy on their own, which is why they are sometimes collected and packaged separately, and do not finish the process of becoming chocolate.
Incorporating cacao beans and cacao nibs into your regular diet is easy! There is so much more to cacao than just chocolate, and cacao nibs are a great addition to any number of recipes. You can blend cacao nibs into your morning smoothie or stir into a bowl of yogurt for a satisfying breakfast. Similarly, cacao nibs can be sprinkled into granola or simply mixed into a dried fruit and nut mixture for an easy snack. Some chefs even top grilled meats with a little pinch of cacao nibs – go ahead and try it for yourself!
The short answer is yes, cacao beans and cacao nibs are essentially the same thing! Cacao nibs are simply cacao beans that have been crushed up into smaller pieces during the winnowing step of the chocolate making process. Once the beans are winnowed, the resulting nibs are usually ground into a paste that is eventually refined and tempered into chocolate. However, the cacao nibs are perfectly edible and healthy on their own, which is why they are sometimes collected and packaged separately, and do not finish the process of becoming chocolate.
Incorporating cacao beans and cacao nibs into your regular diet is easy! There is so much more to cacao than just chocolate, and cacao nibs are a great addition to any number of recipes. You can blend cacao nibs into your morning smoothie or stir into a bowl of yogurt for a satisfying breakfast. Similarly, cacao nibs can be sprinkled into granola or simply mixed into a dried fruit and nut mixture for an easy snack. Some chefs even top grilled meats with a little pinch of cacao nibs – go ahead and try it for yourself!