Cacao

Cacao is the fermented, dried, and roasted seed (“bean”) of the chocolate plant (Theobroma cacao), a tropical evergreen tree in the cotton, or mallow, family (Malvaceae). As a seasoning, it takes on a few forms depending on how much of the bean’s own fat, cocoa butter, is retained.

Cracked into “nibs,” the roasted bean is its whole-spice form, ground fresh like peppercorns into a coarse, bitter, nutty spice that seasons meat rubs, roasted vegetables, and sauces. Ground finer and bound with sugar and cinnamon, the same bean becomes Mexican table chocolate, the chocolate de mesa used in mole. Cocoa powder is the leanest form, the dried solids left after most of the cocoa butter is pressed away. It’s intense and convenient, but without the fat, it’s best suited for baking or dry rubs.