Cacao beans can be used whole, broken into nibs, or ground into powder. Cacao can be added to herbal teas and homemade hot chocolate. The less processed the cacao beans, the more healthy benefits are retained. Products sold as cacao, rather than cocoa generally are more likely to have undergone less processing. The aromatic cacao butter that is extracted from the raw cacao during processing makes a great body butter. Cacao butter is usually combined with other oils in creams and body lotions to soften it.
