noun
cacao tree; cocoa tree
Refers to the tree Theobroma cacao, the source of cocoa beans. Usually written in katakana.
from Spanish cacao
カカオはチョコレートの原料です。
Cacao is the raw material for chocolate.
ココア usually refers to cocoa powder or the drink, while カカオ refers to the tree or the beans.
Loanword from Spanish 'cacao', ultimately from Nahuatl 'cacahuatl'.