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CACAO IS THE RAW UNPROCESSED BEAN of the Theobroma tree. Cold-pressed and unroasted, it’s ground into powder or chopped into small pieces called nibs. Use raw cacao powder as a cocoa replacement, but use a little less as the flavour is more intense. Unlike cocoa and chocolate, cacao isn’t sweetened, so for desserts blend it with naturally sweet ingredients such as bananas, dates and dried fruit, or use a little unrefined sweetener. Stirring a tablespoon of cacao into casseroles and chilli con carne at the end of cooking will add depth of flavour.