Cacao powder is made from cacao beans (Theobroma cacao) that are fermented, dried, processed, and ground after much of the cacao butter has been removed. It has a rich, bittersweet chocolate flavor and is naturally high in magnesium, copper, iron, fiber, and protective polyphenols, particularly flavan-3-ols such as epicatechin and catechin and larger procyanidins. Cacao also naturally contains theobromine, a mild stimulant related to caffeine. Cacao powder can be used interchangeably with natural, unsweetened cocoa powder in most recipes, although flavor and phytochemical content vary depending on how the beans and powder have been processed.