Cacao

For the town in French Guiana see Cacao, French Guiana

Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is a small (4–8 m tall) evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae (alternatively Malvaceae), native to tropical South America, but now cultivated throughout the tropics. Its seeds are used to make cocoa and chocolate.

The tree grows naturally in the low foothills of the Andes at elevations of around 200–400 m in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins; it is believed to have been introduced to Central America by trade and domestication from its origins in the Amazon Basin. It requires a humid climate with regular rainfall and good soil. It is an understory tree, growing best with some overhead shade. The leaves are alternate, entire, unlobed, 10–40 cm long and 5–20 cm broad.

The flowers are produced in clusters directly on the trunk and older branches; they are small, 1–2 cm diameter, with pink calyx. The fruit, called a cacao pod, is ovoid, 15–30 cm long and 8–10 cm wide, ripening yellow to orange, and weighs about 500 g when ripe. The pod contains 20 to 60 seeds, usually called "beans", embedded in a white pulp. Each seed contains a significant amount of fat (40–50% as cocoa butter). Their most important active constituent is Theobromine, a compound somewhat similar to Caffeine.

The scientific name Theobroma means "food of the gods", while cacao probably comes from the Mixe-Zoquean languages family used by the Olmecs (Kakawa), and is believed to have been in use as early as 1000 BC.

Cultivation

Cacao is cultivated on over 70000 km² worldwide. Côte d'Ivoire produces 40% of world cacao, Ghana and Indonesia each produce about 15%, and Brazil, Nigeria and Cameroon produce smaller amounts.

A tree begins to bear when 4 or 5 years old. In one year, when mature, it may have 6,000 flowers, but only about 20 pods. About 300-600 seeds (10 pods) are required to produce around 1 kg of cocoa paste.

There are three main cultivar groups of cacao beans used to make cocoa and chocolate. The most prized, rare, and expensive is the Criollo Group, the cocoa bean used by the Maya. Only 10% of chocolate is made from Criollo, which is less bitter and more aromatic than any other bean. The cacao bean in 80% of chocolate is made using beans of the Forastero Group. Forastero trees are significantly hardier than Criollo trees, resulting in cheaper cacao beans. Trinitario, a hybrid of Criollo and Forastero, is used in about 10% of chocolate. For details of processing, see cocoa.

Cacao beans were commonly used as currency in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. In some areas, such as Yucatán, they were still used in place of small coins as late as the 1840s.

Pests

Various plant pests and diseases can cause serious problems for cacao production.

Insects
- Conopomorpha cramerella
Fungi
- Moniliophthora roreri ("Frosty Pod")
- Crinipellis perniciosa ("Witches' Broom")
Heterokonts
- Phytophthora ("Black Pod")
Viruses
- CSSV

External links

The food of the Gods – the nature, growth, cultivation, manufacture and history of Cocoa, by Brandon Head, from Project Gutenberg
Malaysian Cacao Board
International Cocoa Organization (ICCO)
TransFair USA Fair Trade Cocoa Program
Plant Diseases Imperil Chocolate Production - Science Friday on NPR, 2006-06-09

Malvales | Chocolate | Fruits and vegetables of Mexico

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Cultivation

Pests

External links