Cacao Products

What's in the range

Everything here except carob starts with the same thing: the bean of the cacao tree. Cacao beans are the whole beans, still in their thin papery skins. Cacao nibs are beans cracked into small, crunchy pieces. Cacao liquor, also called cacao mass or paste, is the nib ground into a smooth mass and set into a solid block. Despite the name it contains no alcohol; "liquor" simply refers to its liquid state when warm. Cacao powder is made by pressing most of the cacao butter out of that mass and grinding what's left. Carob powder is different again, made from the pods of the carob tree, with a sweet, caramel-like flavour.

How to choose

Pick powder for hot chocolate, brownies, cakes and smoothies, as it mixes easily into liquids and batters. Choose nibs when you want crunch and a bold, bitter chocolate flavour. Liquor is the one for homemade chocolate or a rich, thick drinking chocolate, because it still contains all of the bean's cacao butter. Whole beans are for the curious: peel and nibble them, or crack them into your own nibs. Carob suits anyone who prefers a milder, sweeter chocolate-style taste.

How to use them

• Hot chocolate: whisk a heaped teaspoon or two of cacao powder into warm milk with a little sweetener, or grate in some cacao liquor for a richer cup.
• Baking: use cacao powder in place of cocoa in most recipes, sifting it first to avoid lumps.
• Toppings: scatter nibs over porridge, yoghurt, granola or ice cream, or fold them into cookie dough.
• Homemade chocolate: melt cacao liquor gently in a bowl over simmering water, stir in your favourite sweetener, pour into moulds and chill.
• Carob: swap it for cacao powder one-for-one, and reduce any added sugar slightly as it tastes sweeter.

Storing and sizes

Keep cacao products in an airtight container somewhere cool, dry and dark, away from strong smells, which cacao readily picks up. The fridge isn't ideal, as moisture can make powders clump. If cacao liquor or nibs develop a pale, whitish film, that's just cacao butter rising to the surface (known as bloom); it's harmless and disappears when melted. Most products come in sizes from small packs up to larger bags, and UK orders over £50 get free delivery.