The Cocoa Tree and its Sources The Cocoa bean which gives us both Cocoa and chocolate is grown on the “THEOBROMA CACAO” or ‘COCOATREE’. The first cocoa trees probably originated in the Amazon Forest more than four thousand years ago. It is cultivated only in West Africa, northern and central South America the Caribbean and some parts of Asia between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The cocoa tree is extremely sensitive and so the young seeds are grown in special nurseries, after a few months they are transplanted to the Cocoa plantation. They need protection from wind and excessive sunlight. This is often provided by banana, coconut or lemon trees known as ‘Cocoa Mothers’ which are planted nearby. By the time the tree is four (or) five years old it has dark glossy leaves and ripe fruit in the form of pods growing on both the branches and the trunk. The fruits are about 3 - 4 inches wide and 6-10 inches long and are elongated oval in shape. Cacao Varieties Cacao trees are small, under story trees that need rich, well-drained soils. They naturally grow within 20˚ of either side of the equator because they need about 2000 millimetre’s of rainfall a year, and temperatures in the range of 21 to 32˚Celsius. Cacao trees cannot tolerate a temperature lower than 15˚Celsius (59˚ Fahrenheit). The three main varieties of cacao beans used in chocolate are Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario. Representing only five percent of all cocoa beans grown, Criollo is the rarest and most expensive cocoa on the market and is native to Central America, the Caribbean islands and the northern tier of South American states. There is some dispute about the genetic purity of cocoas sold today as Criollo, as most populations have been exposed to the genetic influence of other varieties. Criollos are particularly difficult to grow, as they are vulnerable to a variety of environmental threats and 03
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