Guide
What are cocoa beans, nibs, liquor, butter and powder? How do natural and alkalized cocoa differ, and what do fat grades and the official definitions mean? What to know before you buy.
Processing chain
Beans are fermented in the country of origin and dried to about 7.5% moisture.
Cleaned beans are roasted, cracked and de-shelled to give nibs.
Nibs are ground into cocoa liquor (mass).
The liquor is pressed into cocoa butter and cocoa cake.
The cake is broken and milled into cocoa powder; alkalization can be added along the way.
Roughly 100 kg of dry beans give about 80 kg of cocoa liquor, which in turn gives about 40 kg of cocoa butter and 40 kg of cake/powder.21
Official definitions
In Türkiye, cocoa products are defined in the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué on Cocoa and Chocolate Products (No. 2017/29, Official Gazette 3 November 2017), aligned with EU Directive 2000/36/EC.
Cocoa powder
Commercial cocoa powders are commonly made at 10–12%, 20–22% and 22–24% fat. The fat content depends on how much butter is pressed out of the liquor.5
Alkalization (Dutch process) treats cocoa with an alkaline solution — typically potassium carbonate. It reduces acidity, darkens the colour and helps the powder disperse in liquids.7
| Natural | Light alkalized | Medium alkalized | Strongly alkalized | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pH | ≈ 5–6 | ≈ 6–7.2 | ≈ 7.2–7.6 | > 7.6 |
| Colour | Light brown | Brown | Dark brown / reddish | Very dark – black |
| Taste | More acidic | Mild | Less acidic | Pronounced, low acidity |
| Dispersion in liquids | Weaker | Good | Good | Very good |
Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter is the natural fat pressed from cocoa liquor and the basis of chocolate’s fat phase. Natural cocoa butter carries cocoa aroma; deodorized cocoa butter has had its aroma removed. It is usually supplied in 25 kg blocks or cartons.9
Cocoa liquor and nibs
Cocoa liquor (mass) contains no alcohol — it is ground cocoa nib and the main raw material of chocolate. Cocoa nibs are cracked, de-shelled beans, used as an intermediate product or as inclusions.3
Storage
Keep cocoa products sealed in a cool (about 15–20 °C), dry, odour-free place away from light. Shelf life varies by product; major processors list periods such as 18–24 months for cocoa powder.1110
Frequently asked questions
Alkalized (Dutch-process) cocoa powder is made by treating cocoa with an alkaline solution, typically potassium carbonate. This reduces acidity, darkens the colour and helps the powder disperse in liquids.
Natural cocoa powder has a pH of about 5–6, a lighter colour and a more acidic taste. Alkalized powders can exceed pH 8, with colours from red to black.
Commercial cocoa powders are commonly 10–12%, 20–22% and 22–24% fat. Under EU and Turkish rules, cocoa powder contains at least 20% cocoa butter on dry matter; below that it is “fat-reduced cocoa powder”.
Cocoa liquor, or cocoa mass, is cocoa nib ground mechanically without changing its composition — the main raw material of chocolate. Turkish rules set its cocoa butter content at 47–60%.
No. “Cocoa liquor” is the industry name for ground cocoa nibs; it is not an alcoholic drink.
Cocoa butter is the natural fat of the cocoa bean and the main component of the fat phase in chocolate and confectionery. Deodorized cocoa butter has had its aroma removed.
Keep it sealed in a cool (about 15–20 °C), dry, odour-free place away from light.
The cocoa price is set on the New York and London futures markets, largely on West African harvest expectations. It hit a record USD 12,931 per tonne in 2024 and fell below USD 3,000 in early 2026.
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