Cocoa powder

Cocoa powder is an essential ingredient for baking and preparing chocolate desserts. It is made from cocoa beans that are fermented, dried, roasted, and then ground. After cocoa butter extraction, what remains is a dark, intensely fragrant unsweetened powder. There are two main types: natural cocoa with a slightly bitter, acidic flavor, and Dutch-processed (alkalized) cocoa, which is smoother and darker. In the kitchen, it is the foundation of brownies, cakes, fondants, creams, and traditional hot chocolate made from scratch.