Cocoa powder

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Cocoa powder, often simply cocoa, is an aromatic powder derived from the seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree. It is produced by roasting and grinding the seeds, referred to as cocoa beans, and then removing most of the cocoa butter from the resulting paste. Usually sold as a fine powder, cocoa is widely used in baking and beverages, notably hot cocoa, because of its intense chocolate flavor without most of the fat found in cocoa beans. The two main types are natural cocoa powder and Dutch-processed cocoa powder, both of which are available in various fat percentages. The (non-fat) cocoa solids that make up most of cocoa powder consist primarily of carbohydrates, dietary fiber and protein. They also contain significant amounts of minerals such as iron and magnesium. In addition, cocoa is rich in polyphenols, particularly flavonoids. High-fat cocoa powder is also naturally calorie-dense. When mixed with sugar and flavourings (to make beverages), cocoa powder may be called chocolate powder.

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