Cacao

Sweet & rich· tea coffee cacao

What it is

Cacao is the seed of Theobroma cacao, a tropical tree whose beans are fermented, dried and roasted to make chocolate and cocoa products.

What it tastes like

On the nose: pear, apple, spicy. Among its measured molecules: 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, isobutyl benzoate, 5-methyl-2-phenyl-2-hexenal, acetophenone, ligustrazine.

What goes with it

Rice vinegarboth carry 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, coffee cocoacite
Aleboth carry 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, roasted coffeecite
Goat cheeseboth carry 2,3-butanedionecite

265 more go with it. See them all in the full library →

Salt and acid

Salt

0 mgAsian pear10 mgCinnamon100 mgFennel seed1,000 mgOlive10,000 mgFish sauce

Sodium 21 mg per 100 g — USDA FoodData Central 169593.

Acid

Acid not measured yet.

Unusual pairings

Pairs the library can cite that almost nobody makes.

Cacao + Caramel
both carry 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, coffee cocoa (11 of 338 carry it)
Cacao + Ale
both carry 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, roasted coffee (14 of 338 carry it)
Cacao + Rose
both carry linalool, spicy citrus (133 of 338 carry it)

15 of 152 compounds on file carry a paper the library can cite.

benzaldehydearomaaldehydereads as burning aromatic taste (PubChem)Measured in 54 of 338 ingredients.cite
4.67% of total volatiles in the finished cocoa powder — the largest single peak reported there — Mohamadi Alasti et al. 2019, Food Science & Nutrition (Table 2, row 'Benzaldehyde')
2,3-butanedionearomaketonereads as strong odor (PubChem)Measured in 15 of 338 ingredients.cite
nasal impact frequency 100% in every one of the twelve dark chocolates — the only compound detected by the whole panel in every sample — Deuscher et al. 2020, Molecules (Table 1, olfactive area 7)
phenylacetaldehydearomaaldehydeMeasured in 21 of 338 ingredients.cite
4.21% of total volatiles in the finished cocoa powder, rising from 0.10% in the raw cacao bean — Mohamadi Alasti et al. 2019, Food Science & Nutrition (Table 2 (Main cocoa on-odor volatile compounds of samples in different stages of production), row 'Phenylacetaldehyde')
linaloolaromaalcoholreads as spicy, citrus taste (PubChem)Measured in 91 of 338 ingredients.cite
1.38% of total volatiles in the finished cocoa powder, up from 0.05% in the raw bean. The paper proposes the linalool/benzaldehyde ratio as a flavour index — Mohamadi Alasti et al. 2019, Food Science & Nutrition (Table 2, row 'Linalool'; Results)
2-methylbutyraldehydearomaaldehydeMeasured in 11 of 338 ingredients.cite
nasal impact frequency 40-100% across the twelve dark chocolates — Deuscher et al. 2020, Molecules (Table 1 and Table A1, olfactive area 3)
acetophenonearomaketonereads as sweet pungent odor (PubChem)Measured in 3 of 338 ingredients.cite
0.77% of total volatiles in the finished cocoa powder — Mohamadi Alasti et al. 2019, Food Science & Nutrition (Table 2, row 'Acetophenon'; Discussion ('Among the ketones, acetophenone created sweet, floral notes'))
phenethyl acetatearomaesterMeasured in 13 of 338 ingredients.cite
2.68% of total volatiles in the finished cocoa powder — Mohamadi Alasti et al. 2019, Food Science & Nutrition (Table 2, row '2-Phenethyl acetate')
3-methylbutanalaromaaldehydereads as apple-like odor (PubChem)Measured in 22 of 338 ingredients.cite
nasal impact frequency 30-80% across the twelve dark chocolates — Deuscher et al. 2020, Molecules (Table 1 and Table A1, olfactive area 4)
ligustrazinearomapyrazineMeasured in 3 of 338 ingredients.cite
2.69% of total volatiles in the finished cocoa powder, up from 0.50% in the raw bean — Mohamadi Alasti et al. 2019, Food Science & Nutrition (Table 2, row '2,3,5,6 Tetramethylpyrazine'; Results)
2,3,5-trimethylpyrazinearomapyrazineMeasured in 6 of 338 ingredients.cite
0.66% of total volatiles in the finished cocoa powder — Mohamadi Alasti et al. 2019, Food Science & Nutrition (Table 2, row '2,3,5-trimethyl pyrazine')
2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazinearomapyrazineMeasured in 1 of 338 ingredients.cite
0.26% of total volatiles in the finished cocoa powder — Mohamadi Alasti et al. 2019, Food Science & Nutrition (Table 2, row '2-Ethyl-3-methylpyrazine')
2,5-dimethylpyrazinearomapyrazineMeasured in 10 of 338 ingredients.cite
0.23% of total volatiles in the finished cocoa powder and absent from the raw bean — Mohamadi Alasti et al. 2019, Food Science & Nutrition (Table 2, row '2,5-Dimethylpyrazine')
isoamyl acetatearomaesterreads as pear-like odor (PubChem)Measured in 26 of 338 ingredients.cite
1.53% of total volatiles in the finished cocoa powder — Mohamadi Alasti et al. 2019, Food Science & Nutrition (Table 2, row 'Isoamyl acetate')
isobutyl benzoatearomaesterMeasured in 1 of 338 ingredients.cite
3.22% of total volatiles in the finished cocoa powder — Mohamadi Alasti et al. 2019, Food Science & Nutrition (Table 2, row 'Isobutyl benzoate'; Results)
5-methyl-2-phenyl-2-hexenalaromaaldehydeMeasured in 1 of 338 ingredients.cite
2.16% of total volatiles in the finished cocoa powder and absent from the raw bean — Mohamadi Alasti et al. 2019, Food Science & Nutrition (Table 2, row '5-methyl-2-Phenyl-2-hexenal'; Discussion)

On file, no cited source yet ✳

These molecules are on record for it from the library's earlier sources. We are buying and requesting the papers; each one that lands moves its molecule up into the cited list.

Polystachosidesugar
N-[3',4'-Dihydroxy-(E)-cinnamoyl]-L-tyrosineacid
pyridoxinenitrogen compound
dimethyl sulfidesulfur compoundreads as characteristic flavor (PubChem)
syringic acidphenol
(EZ)-sinapic acidacid
aldehydo-D-glucosealdehyde
Procyanidinflavonoid
thiamine(1+) ionnitrogen compoundreads as slight, characteristic (PubChem)
isoorientinflavonoid
tryptaminenitrogen compound
vanillinphenolreads as sweetish smell (PubChem)
matairesinolphenol
Catechin (no stereochemistry defined)flavonoid
5-methylfurfuralfuran
Procyanidin B2flavonoid
(3S,8S,9S,10R,13R,14S,17R)-17-[(E,2S,5S)-5-Ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl]-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-olterpenoid
pentadecaneacid
procyanidin B5flavonoid
proanthocyanidin A2flavonoid
4-hydroxybenzoic acidacid
palmitic acidacidreads as slight characteristic taste (PubChem)
pyrrole-2-carboxaldehydenitrogen compound
Chrysoeriol-7-O-glucosideflavonoid
2-acetylpyrrolenitrogen compound
2-acetylfuranfuran
N-Coumaroyltyrosineacid
Cinnamtannin A3flavonoid
cinnamtannin A2flavonoid
isovitexinflavonoid
procyanidin C1flavonoid
acetaldehydealdehydereads as pungent, fruity odor (PubChem)
acetoinketonereads as buttery odor (PubChem)
Chlorogenic acidphenol
methionalsulfur compoundreads as cooked potato (PubChem)
adeninenitrogen compound
dimethyl trisulfidesulfur compound
benzoic acidphenolreads as bitter taste (PubChem)
2-Phenyl-2-butenal
phenol
theophyllinenitrogen compoundreads as bitter (PubChem)
CID 21881649flavonoid
2-pentanolalcohol
N-caffeoyl-L-aspartic acidacid
iron
chromium
copper
zinc
caffeinenitrogen compoundreads as bitter taste (PubChem)
1-pentadeceneacid
2-ethyl-5-methylpyrazinepyrazine
2-ethylpyrazinepyrazine
calcium(2+)
D-fructopyranosealcoholreads as sweet (PubChem)
melleincoumarin
isoamyl alcoholalcohol
4-coumaric acidacid
gentisic acidacid
gallic acidacid
4-hydroxybenzoic acidphenol
2-Isopropyl-5-methyl-2-hexenal
cyanidin 3-O-β-D-glucosideflavonoid
(E)-cinnamic acidacid
oleic acidacidreads as peculiar lard-like odor (PubChem)
ferulic acidacid
isovitexinflavonoid
2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-[(2S,3R,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-oneflavonoid
serotoninnitrogen compound
quercetinflavonoid
vitexinflavonoid
apigeninflavonoid
luteolinflavonoid
linoleic acidacid
quercitrinflavonoid
luteolosideflavonoid
apigetrinflavonoid
cholecalciferolalcohol
kaempferolflavonoid
amentoflavoneflavonoid
orientinflavonoid
Luteolin 7-galactosideflavonoid
2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5R)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-oneflavonoid
Davitinterpenoidreads as medications associated with a metallic or bitter taste include ... vitamin d (PubChem)
sodium
vitexinflavonoid
2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-oneflavonoid
apigetrinflavonoid
4-Methyl-2-phenyl-2-pentenal
theobrominenitrogen compoundreads as bitter tasting alkaloid (PubChem)
calcium
potassium
magnesiumreads as none (PubChem)
red phosphorusreads as garlic-like (PubChem)
guaijaverinflavonoid
Cocal
D-glucopyranosesugarreads as sweet (PubChem)
keto-D-fructosesugar
sucrosesugarreads as sweet (PubChem)
uridinenitrogen compound
phenylethyl alcoholalcoholreads as sharp burning taste (PubChem)
p-coumaric acidacid
(E)-sinapic acidacid
cis-clovamideacid
epigallocatechin gallateester
trans-clovamideacid
secoisolariciresinol
isobutyraldehydealdehydereads as fruity taste (PubChem)
butanoneketonereads as sweet, pleasant, pungent (PubChem)
clovamideacid
N-coumaroyl-L-aspartic acidacid
N-[4-Hydroxycinnamoyl]-L-glutamic acidacid
N-coumaroyl-3-hydroxytyrosineacid
trans-caffeic acidphenol
(E/Z)-ferulic acidacid
isoamyl benzoateester
protocatechuic acidacid
(−)-epicatechinphenol
2-methyltetrahydrofuranterpenoid
furfuryl alcoholalcoholreads as bitter (PubChem)
furfuralfuranreads as almond-like odor (PubChem)
2-[3-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoylamino]butanedioic acidacid
1-phenylethanolalcoholreads as mild floral odor (PubChem)
3-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-[3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoylamino]propanoic acidacid
p-Coumaroyl 3-hydroxytyrosineacid
5,6,11,12,13-Pentahydroxy-4,14-dimethyl-16-oxo-8,17-dioxatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadeca-2(7),3,5,10,12,14-hexaene-3-carbaldehyde
2-methylpyrazinepyrazine
isobutyl acetateesterreads as banana taste (PubChem)
potassium cation
vanillic acidacid
(E/Z)-cinnamic acidacid
ethyl acetateesterreads as fragrant odor (PubChem)
magnesium(2+)
inositol hexaphosphatesugar
(+)-catechinflavonoid
sodium ion
naringenin 7-O-beta-D-glucosideflavonoid
phenolreads as sweet, tarry odor (PubChem)

Sources

Mohamadi Alasti et al. 2019, Food Science & Nutrition
Deuscher et al. 2020, Molecules

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