Cacao Bean
/kəˈkaʊˌbiːn/noun
The dried and fully fermented fatty seed of Theobroma cacao, used to make chocolate.
Did you know?Cacao was so valuable in ancient Mesoamerica that it was used as money and even offered in rituals to the gods.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Mesoamerican
Mesoamerican
kakaw
“referring to the cacao plant, revered as sacred.”
Classical Maya
Maya
kakaw
“the seed used in ceremonial drinks.”
15th Century
Spanish
cacao
“adaptation of the Mesoamerican word, indicating the plant and its seeds.”
17th Century
English
cacao
“imported term for the chocolate-making seeds.”
Modern English
English
cacao bean
“the specific reference to the seed from which chocolate is derived.”