Cocoa powder is made from cocoa beans, which come from the plant Theobroma cacao L. The beans are harvested, fermented, and dried. These must be roasted and ground into a fine powder. Cocoa powder is an unsweetened chocolate product, adds deep chocolate flavor to desserts and beverages.
Cocoa powder occurs when the fat, called cocoa butter, gets removed from the cacao beans during processing. The leftover dried solids get ground into the product sold as cocoa powder.
There are two types of cocoa powder: Natural cocoa powder and Dutch-process cocoa powder. Generally light brown in color, natural cocoa is acidic (with a pH around 5) and tends to be fruitier and more intensely flavored than Dutch-process cocoa. Dutch-processed cocoa has been treated with an alkaline solution to neutralize the cocoa’s acidity, which bumps up the pH to between 6.8 to 8.1. This results in mellowing out any sharp notes in flavor and a darker color.
Cocoa powder adds intense flavor to chocoholic recipes such as fudge or flourless chocolate cake, but it can also be used as a subtle coating on chocolate truffles or a light chocolate booster for quick breads and muffins.
Cocoa powder is rich in polyphenols have been linked to numerous health benefits, including reduced inflammation, better blood flow, lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Research suggests that adding more cocoa powder to human diet helps to improve his attention, working memory, and general cognition. It may also restore cognitive performance in people with sleep loss.
What is cocoa powder?
