How to Make Dark Chocolate People often mistake the terms “cacao” and “cocoa” to mean the same thing. The two terms used to have the same meaning, but over the years they have come to have different meanings. The term “cacao” is used to describe the seeds (actual chocolate base), the tree (where the seeds grow) and the pods (a “container” that holds the actual cacao bean) (What is cacao? Par. 7). The term “cocoa” is used to describe the processed and sweetened cacao-much like the infamous hot cocoa that is loved so much. From cacao we are able to make many different chocolates, like dark chocolate. Exploring how to make dark chocolate, the health benefits and the different types of chocolate is a fascinating topic because many people do not know how to make it or the health benefits that it has for our bodies. The first thing that we need to do is gain access to cacao beans. The infamous and hard to get cacao beans can be bought on the internet and also where they originally came from, the cacao tree. The cacao tree is part of the evergreen family and is only found in specific regions in the world: South America, Central America, Africa, Asia and Mexico. There are also four main types of the cacao beans: Criollo, Forastero, Trinitario and Nacional. The flavor of the bean depends on the variety, the temperature, the soil, and the amounts of sun and rain. Once you have found the cacao tree, it is now time to harvest the cacao pods. Mature cacao pods will be orange or red, and will contain about 40 cream-colored beans. The mature pods get cut off the tree with a machete or get hit off the tree with a long stick. If the pods are not ripe, the seeds inside cannot be used in the process of making chocolate because it has a lower cocoa butter content. After harvesting the cacao pods, it is time for the fermenting process. The cacao pods are cracked open to reveal