Coca vs. Cocoa — What's the Difference?

The source plant for cocaine, a powerful illegal stimulant.

A shade of brown that resembles the color of cocoa powder.

Leaves of the coca plant, traditionally used to relieve altitude sickness.

Powder made from roasted, ground cacao beans, used for making chocolate.

A crop that is legal in certain countries for traditional and medicinal uses.

A warm beverage made by mixing cocoa powder with milk or water.

A plant with significant cultural importance in Andean societies.

A key ingredient in chocolate bars and confectioneries.

A South American plant with leaves that contain stimulant alkaloids.

A flavoring obtained from cacao seeds, used in baking and desserts.

Coca is any of the four cultivated plants in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. Coca is known for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine.

A powder made from cacao seeds after they have been fermented, roasted, shelled, ground, and freed of most of their fat.

A tropical American shrub grown for its leaves, which are the source of cocaine.

See hot chocolate.

Any of certain Andean evergreen shrubs or small trees of the genus Erythroxylum, especially E. coca, whose leaves contain cocaine and other alkaloids.

A moderate brown to reddish brown.

The dried leaves of such a plant, chewed by people of the Andes for a stimulating effect and also used for extraction of cocaine and other alkaloids.

The dried and partially fermented fatty seeds of the cacao tree from which chocolate is made.

Any of the four cultivated plants which belong to the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America.

An unsweetened brown powder made from roasted, ground cocoa beans, used in making chocolate, and in cooking.

The dried leaf of one of these plants, the South American shrub (Erythroxylum coca), widely cultivated in Andean countries, which is the source of cocaine.

(uncountable) A hot drink made with milk, cocoa powder, and sugar.

A pastry typically made and consumed in the Catalan-speaking areas.

(countable) A serving of this drink.

The dried leaf of a South American shrub (Erythroxylon Coca). In med., called Erythroxylon.

A light to medium brown colour.

A South American shrub whose leaves are chewed by natives of the Andes; a source of cocaine

Alternative spelling of coco.

United States comedienne who starred in early television shows with Sid Caesar (1908-2001)

Of a light to medium brown colour, like that of cocoa powder.

Dried leaves of the coca plant (and related plants that also contain cocaine); chewed by Andean people for their simulating effect

A tall palm tree producing the cocoanut (Cocos nucifera) as its fruit. It grows in nearly all tropical countries, attaining a height of sixty or eighty feet. The trunk is without branches, and has a tuft of leaves at the top, each being fifteen or twenty feet in length, and at the base of these the nuts hang in clusters; the cocoanut tree. It is widely planted throughout the tropics, and in some locations as an ornamental tree.

A preparation made from the seeds of the chocolate tree, and used in making, a beverage; also the beverage made from cocoa or cocoa shells.

A beverage made from cocoa powder and milk and sugar; usually drunk hot

Powder of ground roasted cocao beans with most of the fat removed

Yes, in regions where it's legal, coca leaves can be chewed or brewed as tea.

Cocoa beans are the seeds of the cacao tree, primarily grown in tropical regions.

No, the spelling can differ depending on the language.

Cocoa is a powder made from roasted and ground cacao beans, used primarily in chocolate products.

In moderation, cocoa has antioxidants and can be part of a healthy diet.

It depends on the country's laws; in some countries, it's legal for traditional uses.

Coca is a plant native to South America with leaves that contain stimulating alkaloids.

No, coca is the plant, while cocaine is a concentrated, illegal drug derived from the leaves.

No, they have very different flavors and uses.

Both can have environmental impacts, but methods like shade-grown cocoa can be more sustainable.

In regions where they are legal, coca leaves may be used in traditional dishes.

Coca is economically important in certain regions for legal uses, while cocoa is a significant global commodity in the food industry.

No, chocolate is made with cocoa, not coca leaves.

Yes, cocoa butter, derived from the beans, is used in cosmetics and skincare.

Yes, coca has traditional Andean rituals, while cocoa is often associated with social and holiday customs.