The primary ingredient used in making chocolate is cocoa. Chocolate is derived from cocoa beans, which are the dried and fully fermented seeds of Theobroma cacao, a tropical tree native to Central and South America. The beans are processed to extract cocoa solids and cocoa butter, which are then combined with sugar and other ingredients to create different types of chocolate. The quality and flavor of the chocolate often depend on the origin of the cocoa beans and the specific methods used in their processing.