Does chocolate grow on trees?
Oranges, apples, and pears all grow on trees. But did you know that chocolate grows on trees too? It’s true! Even though you’ll never find a tree ripe with Hershey’s Kisses, chocolate is made from the cocoa beans that grow on cacao (kah-KOW) trees. So how does chocolate make its way from a tree to your kitchen? It takes a lot of work! Read on to find out how.
What rainforest does chocolate come from?
With the world’s appetite for chocolate at an all-time high, producers are looking for new places to grow cacao—the raw ingredient in cocoa and chocolate.Some are turning to South America, where satellite images show one cacao plantation encroaching dramatically on the Amazon rainforest.. Historically, much of the world’s cacao has come from West Africa, but aging trees, crop diseases ...
Does chocolate have insects in it?
Chocolate can contain insect fragments and rodent hairs (or worse). If you're eating a regular-size chocolate bar (43 grams), it might legally contain 30 or more insect parts and some rodent hair.
Which country does chocolate come from?
Top 10 cocoa producing countries in the world
- Ivory Coast. The Ivory Coast is by far the largest cocoa producing country in the world supplying over 30% of the world’s cocoa beans at 2,034,000 tonnes in 2017.
- Ghana. Cocoa is the main cash crop of Ghana taking up an estimated 1.9 million hectares of land and supporting over 800,000 people that make a living out of ...
- Indonesia. ...
- Nigeria. ...
- Cameroon. ...
Where is the chocolate tree?
The cacao tree is a small tree originally grown in tropical South America. It only grows to 4 to 8 meters in height....Cacao tree.CacaoSpecies:T. cacaoBinomial nameTheobroma cacao L.9 more rows
Do chocolate trees exist?
Theobroma cacao, also called the cacao tree and the cocoa tree, is a small (6–12 m (20–39 ft) tall) evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae. Its seeds, cocoa beans, are used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter and chocolate. The largest producer of cocoa beans in 2018 was Ivory Coast, 2.2 million tons.
Is cacao a drug?
Unlike phencyclidine (PCP or angel dust), MDMA (ecstasy or Molly), and cocaine, cacao isn't considered a controlled substance by the U.S. government; in other words, sniffing cacao isn't illegal. Furthermore, there's only scattered and scant research on the neurological effects of cacao and chocolate.
What animals can eat cacao?
Inside are the cacao seeds-the source of chocolate. Monkeys, bats, and squirrels eat the sweet pulp surrounding the seeds, which are then spit out as the animals travel through the rainforest.
Where are cacao trees found?
Africa is the leading cacao producing continent generating 70% of the world's cacao. Cacao trees are also grown on the continents of North America, South America, and Asia. Major cacao- growing countries include Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, and Indonesia.
Does chocolate come from a plant?
Chocolate comes to us courtesy of the cacao plant (pronounced ca-cow), Theobroma cacao. The name Theobroma is an appropriate one as its translation is “food of the gods.” The plant is believed to have originated in the Amazon area of South America at least 4,000 years ago.
How is chocolate made from tree to bar?
When a product says “tree to bar chocolate,” it implies that the chocolate maker had complete control over how their cacao was grown and processed, and that the chocolate was made in that same country of origin.
Does chocolate and coke come from the same plant?
Coca refers to four plants native to South America that are used to make cocaine. These plants are different from the cacao plant used to make cocoa. Interestingly, the soft drink Coca-Cola contained coca products until the early 20th century. Today, though, cocaine is illegal almost everywhere.
Where does chocolate come from?
Chocolate is made from cacao, which comes from the seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree. (The Greek word Theobroma literally translates to “food of the gods.”) This species of tree thrives in tropical rainforests in Central and South America. There, it has a special mix of conditions that it needs to grow, like humidity and shade. The cacao tree is common in several wilderness areas, and no one really knows the reason: it could be that the cacao beats out other trees in competition, or that these wild populations are the result of large-scale plantations grown hundreds of years ago.
How tall do cacao trees grow?
Cacao trees can grow up to 30 feet tall and produce large pods that are the color and shape of small footballs. These pods contain 30 to 50 seeds—enough to make about two dark chocolate or seven milk chocolate bars! But unlike the chocolate we consume, pure cacao isn’t a sweet snack. Seeds from the cacao tree are extremely bitter, which is a pretty effective survival strategy for Theobroma cacao. Animals that live near cacao trees, like monkeys, rodents, and birds, enjoy noshing on the sweet pulp that’s inside cacao pods and around the seeds (people find the pulp tasty, too; it’s sweet and tangy). But animals that eat the pulp will spit out the strong-tasting seeds, spreading them around the rainforest floor and allowing new trees to take root.
What is the substance that makes chocolate?
The beans are fermented, dried, roasted, husked, and then ground up to make a thick paste called chocolate liquor which is the basis of all chocolate products. Different types of chocolate are made by mixing ingredients like sugar and milk with chocolate liquor.
Where did cacao originate?
They were first consumed in Central and South America as a liquid treat mixed with spices like chilli and vanilla. The flesh of cacao fruit has a tropical taste like passion fruit and mango. It is used in some countries as an ingredient in juices, smoothies, jellies, jams, and ice creams.
What does cacao taste like?
The flesh of cacao fruit has a tropical taste like passion fruit and mango. It is used in some countries as an ingredient in juices, smoothies, jellies, jams, and ice creams.
Why is cacao tree called cauliflory?
The cacao tree is unusual because it produces flowers directly on its trunk and branches, rather than on new shoots. This flowering method is called cauliflory. The Latin name Theobroma means 'food of the gods'.
Why is cacao unusual?
The cacao tree is unusual because it produces flowers directly on its trunk and branches, rather than on new shoots. This flowering method is called cauliflory.
How hot is cacao?
Our cacao trees are kept at 22 to 24˚C during the day and 18˚C during the night.
What is a drooping tree?
Plant description. An evergreen tree with shiny, leathery, egg-shaped leaves that start red and turn green. The young leaves are red and droop to deter herbivores. It is cauliflorous, meaning the tiny, yellowish-white to pale pink flowers grow in clusters directly from the trunk and large branches.
A – The Criollo
Criollo cocoa represents only 1 to 5% of the production in the world, due to its fragility, its rarity, and its very unique complex flavor. Mostly craft and gourmet chocolate makers use their cocoa beans to have the finest chocolate possible, with a little bitterness, a pronounced fruity taste, and a large number of aromas.
B – The Forastero
The Forastero cocoa dominates cocoa production. As well used by low-cost chocolate brands as by luxury and gourmet chocolate makers, this tree is mostly cultivated in West Africa and Brazil, and the large presence of its cocoa in the food market gave him the name of ‘consumer cocoa’ or ‘bulk cocoa’.
C – The Trinitario
The Trinitario cocoa only represents 10% of the international production. It is a hybrid between the Criollo and the Forastero created in the 18th century on the island of Trinidad - from which comes the name - to have a stronger cocoa tree than the Criollo, too frail against the many hurricanes.
D – The Nacional
Nacional cocoa is the least popular, and it represents less than 1% of the total production. It is worldwide known amidst chocolate makers as the rarest cocoa tree, with fine and sweet flavors as floral notes of Jasmine, cream, or orange flower. It is mostly cultivated in Ecuador and Peru.
III – Other varieties
Even if their production is small, there is a lot of other varieties of cocoa trees in our world, such as Amelonado, Contamana, Curaray, Cacao guiana, Iquitos, Marañon, Nanay, or Purús, which are also very unique and very interesting.
A - The Amelonado
The Amalonado cocoa has dark purple beans, and is mostly found in French Guiana and in West Africa. It is quite fatty, a bit bitter and has aromas of coffee, wood, vanilla and cinnamon. Its name comes from its round melon-shaped pod, and it is gradually replaced by hybrid cocoa trees, much more profitable for farmers.
B - The Contamana
Contamana is close to Nacional cocoa, but more robust and less bitter. Its aromas can be compared with dried brown fruits and flowers. Contamana was discovered by FJ Pound, an agronomist of Trinidad, in 1937 in the Ucayali River Valley in Peru. FJ was looking for a cocoa tree that could resist witches' broom disease, and he found it.
What did Europeans call chocolate?
When they first consumed it, Europeans (Spanish in the first case) called it 'a beverage for pigs', but they soon started mixing it with honey and sugar, and in a blink of an eye, chocolate gained incredible popularity throughout the whole Old Continent.
Where did the word "chocolate" come from?
There are many stories about the history of the word 'chocolate', but etymologists believe that the word itself comes from the Aztec word 'xocoatl'. Of course, Aztecs considered 'xocoatl' to mean 'a bitter cacao bean beverage'. At the time of Mayas and Aztecs, chocolate was believed to have magical powers, and it was even used in some ...
What is the cacao tree?
We would surely trade all the money from our wallet just to get our favorite chocolate product. When it comes to other ancient languages, in Latin the word for the most important chocolate ingredient – cacao tree - is Theobroma cacao. It means 'food of the gods'.
What was the idea behind the chocolate drink?
The idea behind his discovery was to make an easy to mix chocolate drink. He crushed the cacao seeds and then pressed the cacao as well as treated it with alkaline salts. His product soon led to solid chocolate creations made from the cacao and cocoa powder.
How long has chocolate been around?
One thing is for sure, our forebears treated themselves with chocolate many centuries ago and according to studies, chocolate has been around us for more than 2000 years. However, the word 'chocolate' has been used to refer to a beverage made from the seeds of a cacao tree, and not a delicacy in a solid form. It was a bitter drink, but at the same time very popular and cherished. From the start, chocolate was a beverage consumed by the rich, at least in Europe, where it appeared sometime around the 17th century. When they first consumed it, Europeans (Spanish in the first case) called it 'a beverage for pigs', but they soon started mixing it with honey and sugar, and in a blink of an eye, chocolate gained incredible popularity throughout the whole Old Continent.
What was chocolate used for in the Aztecs?
At the time of Mayas and Aztecs, chocolate was believed to have magical powers, and it was even used in some of the most sacred rituals. The value of the chocolate at that particular time can be seen through the fact that cacao beans had the value of a currency. One could easily trade 100 cacao beans for a good turkey.
Overview
Theobroma cacao, also called the cacao tree and the cocoa tree, is a small (6–12 m (20–39 ft) tall) evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae. Its seeds, cocoa beans, are used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter and chocolate. The largest producer of cocoa beans in 2018 was Ivory Coast, 2.2 million tons. The genus name, Theobroma, is derived from the Greek words θεός (theos), meaning 'god', and βρῶμα (broma), meaning 'food'. The literal meaning is "food of the go…
Description
Leaves are alternate, entire, unlobed, 10–50 cm (4–20 in) long and 5–10 cm (2–4 in) broad.
The flowers are produced in clusters directly on the trunk and older branches; this is known as cauliflory. The flowers are small, 1–2 cm (3⁄8–13⁄16 in) diameter, with pink calyx. The floral formula, used to represent the structure of a flower using numbers, is ✶ K5 C5 A(5°+5 ) G(5). While many of the world's flowers are pollinated by bees (Hymenoptera) or butterflies/moths (Lepidoptera), …
Taxonomy and nomenclature
Cacao (Theobroma cacao) belongs to the genus Theobroma classified under the subfamily Byttnerioideae of the mallow family Malvaceae. Cacao is one of 17 species of Theobroma.
In 2008, researchers proposed a new classification based upon morphological, geographic, and genomic criteria: 10 groups have been named according to their geographic origin or the traditional cultivar name. These groups are: Amelonado, Criollo, Nacional, Contamana, Curaray, …
Distribution and domestication
T. cacao is widely distributed from southeastern Mexico to the Amazon basin. There were originally two hypotheses about its domestication; one said that there were two foci for domestication, one in the Lacandon Jungle area of Mexico and another in lowland South America. More recent studies of patterns of DNA diversity, however, suggest that this is not the case. One study sampled 1241 trees and classified them into 10 distinct genetic clusters. This study also identified areas, for e…
Cultivation
In 2016, cocoa beans were cultivated on roughly 10,196,725 hectares (25,196,660 acres) worldwide. Cocoa beans are grown by large agroindustrial plantations and small producers, the bulk of production coming from millions of farmers with small plots. A tree begins to bear when it is four or five years old. A mature tree may have 6,000 flowers in a year, yet only about 20 pods. About 1,200 seeds (40 pods) are required to produce 1 kg (2.2 lb) of cocoa paste.
Conservation
The pests and diseases to which cacao is subject, along with climate change, mean that new varieties will be needed to respond to these challenges. Breeders rely on the genetic diversity conserved in field genebanks to create new varieties, because cacao has recalcitrant seeds that cannot be stored in a conventional genebank. In an effort to improve the diversity available to breeders, and ensure the future of the field genebanks, experts have drawn up A Global Strategy …
Genome
The genome of T. cacao is diploid, its size is 430 Mbp, and it comprises 10 chromosome pairs (2n=2x=20). In September 2010, a team of scientists announced a draft sequence of the cacao genome (Matina1-6 genotype). In a second, unrelated project, the International Cocoa Genome Sequencing Consortium-ICGS, co-ordinated by CIRAD, first published in December 2010 (online, paper publication in January 2011), the sequence of the cacao genome, of the Criollo cacao (of …
History of cultivation
Cultivation, use, and cultural elaboration of cacao were early and extensive in Mesoamerica. Ceramic vessels with residues from the preparation of cacao beverages have been found at archaeological sites dating back to the Early Formative (1900–900 BC) period. For example, one such vessel found at an Olmec archaeological site on the Gulf Coast of Veracruz, Mexico dates cacao's preparation by pre-Olmec peoples as early as 1750 BC. On the Pacific coast of Chiapas, …