cocoa
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hot chocolate
A drink usually prepared warm from cocoa powder, milk or water, and sugar.
An kalten Wintertagen trinke ich gerne einen heißen Kakao mit Sahne.
On cold winter days, I like to drink a hot chocolate with whipped cream.
cocoa powder
The powder made from the roasted and ground seeds of the cacao tree and used as an ingredient for baking or for drinks.
Für den Schokoladenkuchen brauchst du noch 100 Gramm Kakao.
For the chocolate cake, you still need 100 grams of cocoa powder.
cocoa / cacao
The cocoa bean or the plant (cacao tree) from which the beans come.
In Westafrika wird ein großer Teil des weltweiten Kakaos angebaut.
A large share of the world's cocoa is grown in West Africa.
Most of the time, 'Kakao' (cocoa) is an uncountable noun, especially when referring to the powder or the plant. But when you mean a cup of the drink, it can also be used countably.
Ich brauche noch Kakao für den Kuchen.
I still need cocoa powder for the cake.
You can recognize the meaning from context: verbs like 'trinken' (to drink) or words like 'Tasse' (cup) point to the drink. Quantities like 'Gramm' (grams) or baking contexts point to the powder. Terms like 'Anbau' (cultivation) or 'Ernte' (harvest) refer to the plant.
Möchtest du eine Tasse Kakao trinken?
Would you like to drink a cup of hot chocolate?
When 'Kakao' (hot chocolate) means the drink, it is often combined with 'heiß' (hot), 'kalt' (cold), 'eine Tasse' (a cup), or 'trinken' (to drink).
Ein heißer Kakao nach einem langen Spaziergang ist das Beste.
A hot chocolate after a long walk is the best thing.
In recipes, 'Kakao' (cocoa powder) almost always means pure, unsweetened cocoa powder. It is not the sweet mix that you use for a quick drink.
Achte darauf, für den Kuchen echten Back-Kakao zu verwenden.
Make sure to use real baking cocoa for the cake.
chocolate
Kakao refers, in the meanings given, to a drink that is usually served warm. The accepted meanings of Schokolade, by contrast, mention no drink, only a flavor or color description. So Kakao is the appropriate word when ordering the warm drink; according to the meanings given, Schokolade cannot be used interchangeably here.
An kalten Tagen bestelle ich im Café einen warmen Kakao.
On cold days, I order a hot chocolate at the café.
Auf der Karte steht Schokolade als Geschmacksangabe für das Dessert.
The menu lists chocolate as a flavor description for the dessert.
