The Cocoa & Chocolate Glossary

An A–Z reference for tasters, makers, and the genuinely curious. Definitions span botany, processing, chemistry, and culture.

A

Alkalization: Treatment of cocoa with an alkaline solution to neutralize acidity. Also called Dutch-processing. Darkens colour and mellows flavour but reduces flavanol content by up to 90%.
Amelonado: A genetic population of Forastero cacao native to the lower Amazon basin, the principal genetic source of most West African cocoa.
Anandamide: A fatty acid neurotransmitter found in cocoa, named from the Sanskrit word for bliss. Binds to the same receptors as THC, far more subtly.
Arriba: Historic trade name for fine-flavour Ecuadorian cacao, prized for floral, jasmine-like aromatic notes. Associated with the Nacional variety.

Bean-to-bar: Chocolate making in which one producer controls every step from sourcing raw cacao beans through molding the finished bar.

Cacao: The minimally processed form of Theobroma cacao products. Retains more flavanols, magnesium, and aromatic compounds than alkalized cocoa.
Cacao Mass: Also called cocoa liquor or chocolate liquor. Ground roasted cacao nibs, the base of all chocolate. Pure cacao mass is 100% cacao.
Cacao Nibs: Cracked, roasted cacao beans with the husk removed. Crunchy, intensely bitter, and the building block of all chocolate production.
CCN-51: A high-yielding cacao hybrid developed in Ecuador in the 1960s by Homero Castro Zurita. Disease-resistant and productive but considered bulk-flavour.
Cocoa: Typically refers to cacao products that have been roasted at higher temperatures and may have been alkalized (Dutch-processed).
Cocoa Butter: The fat extracted from cacao beans, responsible for chocolate's smooth melt and luxurious mouthfeel. Premium chocolate contains 30%+ cocoa butter.
Cocoa Mass: Same as cacao mass. Ground roasted cacao nibs.
Conching: A continuous mixing and aeration process invented by Rodolphe Lindt in 1879 that develops chocolate flavour and creates smooth texture. Fine chocolate is conched for 24–72 hours.
Couverture: High-quality chocolate with at least 32% cocoa butter, used by professional chocolatiers and pastry chefs for tempering and enrobing.
Criollo: The original cacao variety of Mesoamerica. Rare (~3% of world supply), delicate, low-yielding, with extraordinary complex flavour.

Dutch-processed: See Alkalization. Cocoa treated with an alkaline solution to darken colour and mellow flavour.

Endothelium: The cellular lining of blood vessels. Cocoa flavanols stimulate endothelial nitric oxide production, supporting healthy circulation.
Epicatechin: The most studied flavanol in cocoa. Stimulates nitric oxide synthase and accounts for much of cocoa's cardiovascular and cognitive benefit.

Fermentation: The 4–7 day post-harvest process in which natural yeasts and bacteria transform cacao pulp and seeds, developing the precursors of chocolate flavour.
Flavanol: A class of polyphenolic compounds in cocoa. Includes epicatechin, catechin, and procyanidins. Heat- and alkali-sensitive.
Forastero: The robust, high-yielding cacao variety that accounts for ~80% of world supply. Originating in the Amazon basin, dominant in West Africa.

Ganache: A mixture of chocolate and warm cream used as a filling, glaze, or base for truffles.

Maillard Reaction: The browning reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars during roasting that develops most of chocolate's deep aromatic notes.
Mucilage: The sweet white pulp surrounding cacao seeds inside the pod. The substrate for fermentation.

Nacional: Ecuador's native cacao variety, responsible for the historic Arriba flavour. Nearly lost to disease in the early 1900s, rediscovered in the early 2000s.
Nibs: See Cacao Nibs.
Nitric Oxide: A gaseous signaling molecule produced by the endothelium that relaxes blood vessels. Cocoa flavanols stimulate its production.

Pod: The football-shaped fruit of the cacao tree, containing 30–40 seeds in sweet pulp.
Polyphenol: A broad class of plant compounds including flavanols. Cocoa is one of the most polyphenol-dense foods on the planet.
Procyanidins: Polymerized flavanols. Major contributors to cocoa's antioxidant capacity.

Refining: The grinding stage that reduces chocolate particle size below 20 microns, producing the smoothness that defines fine chocolate.

Single Origin: Chocolate made from cacao sourced from one country, region, or farm. Expresses the unique terroir of that location.

Tempering: Controlled heating and cooling of chocolate to set cocoa butter in stable crystalline form, producing snap, gloss, and resistance to bloom.
Terroir: The combined influence of soil, climate, altitude, and microbiology on the flavour of cacao from a specific location.
Theobroma cacao: The botanical name of the cacao tree. From Greek, meaning food of the gods.
Theobromine: The principal methylxanthine in cocoa. Mild stimulant with an 8–9 hour half-life. Dilates blood vessels and provides sustained energy without coffee's crash.
Tree-to-bar: Bean-to-bar production extended to include cacao farm ownership or direct partnership.
Trinitario: A hybrid of Criollo and Forastero, originating in Trinidad after an 18th-century hurricane. Combines complexity with hardiness. Heartland of Caribbean fine-flavour cacao.