Where do cocoa beans grow in what? Cocoa beans: where they grow, uses and beneficial properties of beans. Growing a chocolate tree at home

And now, continuing the culinary theme, we’ll talk about the basis of all chocolate desserts – cocoa.

We will tell you how it is produced, what cocoa beans are, how they grow and what benefits they bring to the human body, and we will also share delicious dessert ideas.

Many people love chocolate, cakes, hot cocoa, and other various desserts that contain 2 main ingredients - cocoa butter and cocoa powder. The latter is the most common and can be easily found on the shelves of our stores.

Cocoa increases vitality, namely, improves mood and stimulates the production of the “hormone of joy” - endorphin, on which our feeling of pleasure and pleasure depends, it also has an exciting effect, while vitality increases and additional vital energy appears.

Regular consumption of cocoa in small doses (5 raw beans per day) helps strengthen the nervous and immune systems, improve blood circulation in the brain, lower blood pressure, stimulate respiration, and also prevent the occurrence of malignant tumors. Cocoa is useful for both mental and physical stress, it relieves nervous tension and relaxes, but at the same time helps to focus and concentrate, thereby increasing performance.

Raw cocoa beans are leaders among other products in the content of antioxidants, which deactivate free radicals in the cells of our body and thereby protect us from viral and bacterial infections. Melanin contained in cocoa protects the skin from ultraviolet and infrared radiation.

Cocoa butter contains fatty acids that stabilize cholesterol levels and vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant and has anti-aging properties.

When heated, some lose some of their beneficial properties, so all of the above, to a greater extent, applies specifically to raw - living cocoa. The content of active substances in such cocoa is 6-8 times higher than in industrial cocoa, and 15-20 times higher than in chocolate - alas, but this is true.
That is why we wanted to get a natural product - raw beans or powder from them.

Where does it grow

The main areas of cocoa cultivation and production are located in Central America and Africa, and the largest producer in the world is the Ivory Coast (Côte D'Ivoire), which produces about 30% of the annual harvest worldwide.

Indonesia is a fairly large player in the market, and occupies an honorable 2nd place among the top ten cocoa bean producers. The island of Bali also contributes - the mountainous climate in the volcano region, in the central and eastern part of the island, is ideal for growing cocoa

Also, other major suppliers are Ghana, Nigeria, Brazil, Cameroon, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, and Colombia (in descending order).

Visiting Brazil and Ecuador is part of our plans, but now we are in Indonesia, and therefore we went to the Balinese plantations where this type of evergreen tree from the Theobroma genus grows.

In Bali we found cocoa plantations on the Jalan Tirta road leading from Ubud to Kintamani, there are several of them ( mark on the map).

How it grows

How does cocoa grow? What do the fruits look like in their original form? How is cocoa powder made? We found answers to these and many other questions from local workers on Balinese farms.

Cocoa has a large fruit (15-20 cm), the shape resembles a cucumber and a lemon at the same time, and is equipped with longitudinal grooves. The unripe fruit is green (see photo above), gradually becoming dark burgundy during ripening


and when fully ripe, it acquires a rich, bright yellow color.

Its peel is quite tough, but you can cut it with a regular knife. The farm workers picked several fruits for us and showed us a master class on opening the fruit and extracting the seeds without using a knife - just hit it hard a few times on a sharp stone or a ledge in a stone building, the fruit will crack, after which it can be broken

Inside the fruit there are many large seeds, arranged in several rows and surrounded by white juicy pulp, which can be enjoyed by sophisticated lovers of exotic fruits

The pulp is very pleasant to the taste, sweet with a slight sourness.

The fruits are formed within 30-80 days. Cocoa ripens completely in 4 months, and ripe fruits sometimes reach 30 cm in length and weigh up to 500 grams, on average their size is 15-20 cm.

The pulp of the fruit contains about 50 cocoa beans. The tree produces a high yield starting from the 12th year of life. The harvest is harvested twice a year, the first time at the end of the rainy season - before the onset of droughts (in Bali this time falls in mid-spring), and the second time - before the start of the rainy season, in September. The first harvest is considered to be of higher quality; it is during these months that the procurement and mass production of oil and powder for sale begins.

The word “cocoa” refers to the fruits of the cocoa tree, the powder obtained from them, and a popular drink.

Treatment

The collected fruits are cut into several parts and laid out on banana leaves or placed in barrels for fermentation. The white pulp of the fruit, containing sugar, begins to ferment, reaching a temperature of 50º C.


The seeds do not germinate because alcohol is released during fermentation, and the beans lose some of their bitterness. This fermentation lasts 10 days, during which time the beans are saturated with their typical aromatic and taste properties and acquire a characteristic color


Drying is traditionally carried out under the open rays of the sun. We asked the workers about special equipment, like drying ovens? To which came a good-natured answer - small plantations do not have a lot of money, because this is expensive equipment, and the climatic conditions in Bali and Indonesia in general allow the sun drying process to be carried out without additional financial costs


In addition, we were explained that drying in traditional drying ovens can lead to spoilage and further unsuitability of the resulting beans for chocolate production due to the taste of smoke.

After drying, the beans are reduced in size; for local consumption, the beans are fried, then pressed, obtaining a valuable product - cocoa butter, which is part of modern chocolate and is widely used in perfumery and pharmacology. The dry residue after pressing is ground to obtain the well-known cocoa powder.

For export, the cocoa beans obtained after drying are simply packed in bags and sent to chocolate-producing countries, mainly located in Europe and North America, and we will tell you about Balinese chocolate and the interesting process of its production at a local factory in one of the following articles .

We bought the fruits themselves to dry them in the sun ourselves, and then use them to make raw food desserts

and already dried, but not fried and unshelled beans


After peeling, the beans can be eaten - they have a bitter taste with a chocolate tint.


Of course, we didn’t squeeze the oil out of the beans, but simply ground it and got a hybrid product from powder and oil at the same time. I must say, the desserts made from it turned out to be excellent (everyone who tried it liked it), and super healthy, because we used only natural ingredients in them; we will share the recipes very soon in our new section dedicated to cooking :)

For now, just a few photos

Do you have any interesting gourmet dessert preferences? Share in the comments.

In the next post we will continue to share our experiences of interesting life in Bali and talk about visiting delicious tangerine plantations.

Botanical name: Cocoa or Chocolate tree (Theobroma cacao) is a representative of the Theobroma genus, family Malvaceae.

Homeland of cocoa: Central and South America.

Lighting: penumbra.

The soil: nutritious, drained.

Watering: abundant.

Maximum tree height: 15 m.

Average life expectancy: more than 100 years.

Landing: seeds, cuttings.

Description of the cocoa plant: bean fruits and their photos

The cocoa tree belongs to the evergreen plant species. It is a tall tree reaching 10-15 m.

The trunk is straight, up to 30 cm in diameter. The bark is brown, the wood is yellowish. The crown is wide-spread, densely leafed, with numerous branches. The branching is whorled.

The leaves are large, round or oblong-elliptic, thin, entire, arranged alternately, 6-30 cm long, 3-15 cm wide. Dark green, shiny above, matte, light green below. Attached to a thin, short petiole.

The flowers are small or medium in size, up to 1.5 cm in diameter, pinkish-white or red-pink, with short pedicels, collected in bunches. Located on the bark of the internodes of bare trunks and large branches. This type of flowering is called “cauliflory” and is characteristic of tropical forest plants. The flowers emit an unpleasant odor that attracts dung flies and butterflies - cocoa pollinators.

The fruit is large, oval-elongated, 10-30 cm long, looks like a lemon or melon, but has longitudinal deep grooves. The shell is dense, wrinkled, leathery, red, orange or yellow. The pulp is a pink or white pulp containing 5 seed columns. The taste is sweet and sour, viscous. Each pulp column contains from 3 to 12 seeds. One fruit can contain from 15 to 60 seeds. The seeds are oval-shaped, brown or reddish, 2-2.5 cm long. They consist of a dense shell, two large cotyledons and an embryo. The seeds of the chocolate tree are called cocoa beans. One tree produces up to 120 fruits and 4 kg of seeds per year.

Flowering of cocoa begins in the second year of life, fruiting - in 4-5 years. The duration of fruiting is 20-25 years. Peak fruiting is at the age of 10-35 years. After 35 years, the number of fruits decreases every year.

Photos of the cocoa tree are presented in the gallery below.

How do cocoa trees grow?

Wild species of this plant are found in the tropical forests of South and Central America and Mexico. The tree inhabits lowland and multi-tiered forests. Among small forests it grows into groves and forms continuous thickets. The countries where cocoa trees grow have a warm, humid climate, typical of the tropics.

This culture is quite demanding in terms of growing conditions. Grows and develops in warm climates. It does not tolerate temperatures above +28°C and below +20°C, as well as direct sunlight, therefore it does not grow at higher elevations. Prefers loose, fertile soil covered with last year's foliage. Needs daily, abundant watering. It is these greenhouse conditions that nature creates for plants in humid, tropical forests.

Conditions for growing cocoa beans: how to plant

The cocoa plant is propagated by seeds and cuttings. Since the seeds quickly lose their viability, they are planted 1-2 weeks after ripening. Seeds are taken from a ripe fruit and sown in a small container with a diameter of about 7 cm in a soil mixture consisting of turf, leaf soil and sand. The seeds are deepened into the soil 2 cm with the narrow end up. The container with seedlings is stored indoors at a temperature of 20-25°C. The soil is regularly moistened. The emerging seedlings are irrigated with water at room temperature.

There is another way to grow cocoa at home. Before planting cocoa beans, it is necessary to prepare the grains of this plant and the soil mixture. A medium-sized pot with loose, fertilized soil is suitable for planting. Cocoa grains are placed in warm water for a day. After a day, a hole is made in the soil, 2-3 cm deep, which is then filled with water. The grain is placed in the hole and sprinkled with earth on top. The pot is placed in a warm, well-lit place. In hot weather, water regularly. Under the right conditions for growing cocoa, after 14-20 days the first sprout will appear, which will eventually turn into a full-fledged chocolate tree. Since this tropical plant is demanding of air and soil humidity, artificial irrigation is used when growing cocoa beans.

To plant this crop, you can use cuttings, which are cut in the spring from well-developed, semi-lignified shoots. The cuttings should be 15-20 cm long with 3-4 leaves. Single-trunk trees develop from cuttings of vertical shoots, and bush-like trees from lateral shoots.

When growing a tropical tree, it is necessary to ensure the absence of drafts and direct sunlight, and to create an optimal air temperature (20 - 30 ° C). At temperatures below 10°C, growth will stop and the plant will die. When planting, you should remember that the chocolate cocoa tree does not tolerate extreme heat, so trees with a wide, flat-rounded crown that creates shade are planted on nearby plantations.

From March to September, once a month the plant is fed with organic fertilizers, in the summer during the period of active growth - with mineral fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen. Spraying with special solutions will prevent the development of fungal diseases.

Despite the fact that the chocolate tree is moisture-loving, its leaves should not be over-watered, otherwise mold may develop on them. Stagnant moisture negatively affects the root system of cocoa, so when planting, drainage is done: sand or small stones are poured into the bottom of the pot.

Cocoa varieties and their photos

Today there are 2 main types of cocoa beans: Criollo and Forastero.

Criollo beans They have a neutral, light brown color and a nutty flavor.

Forastero beans dark brown, with a strong aroma and slight bitterness. Beans of the second type are the most common because they have increased resistance to harsh climatic conditions.

Based on where they grow, cocoa beans are divided into African, American and Asian. The name of cocoa beans, as a rule, coincides with the place where they are cultivated.

For example, among African cocoa varieties there are:

Photo gallery

The most popular American varieties are:

Photo gallery

Asian varieties include: “Ceylon”, “Java” and others. Each variety has certain physical and chemical characteristics.

Modern varieties of cocoa make it possible to plant trees up to 3 m high, which makes harvesting easier when the fruits ripen.

Application of cocoa beans

The fruits of the cocoa tree are valuable raw materials in the food industry of many countries. They are used to make chocolate, cocoa drink and other confectionery products. Cocoa butter, obtained by pressing ground beans, is used in cosmetology and pharmacology; in addition, it is a valuable ingredient in chocolate, making it soft and aromatic. Alcoholic drinks are produced from the pulp of the cocoa fruit.

The bean husks are used to feed livestock.

You can see what the cocoa tree beans look like in the photo below.

Harvesting cocoa fruits

Harvesting the fruits of this crop is a very labor-intensive process that requires great physical effort. Ripe fruits hanging from the lower branches are cut off, and fruits hanging higher are knocked down with sticks. The collected fruits are processed manually. The fruit shells are crushed, the seeds are separated from the pulp and shells. The seeds then undergo a fermentation process that lasts for 7 days. As a result of fermentation, the seeds acquire a characteristic taste and aroma.

Drying of beans is carried out under the sun in the open air or in drying ovens. After drying, the beans lose about 50% of their original mass, after which they are packaged in special bags and sent to chocolate-producing countries, where they are processed into cocoa powder, cocoa liquor, butter and other products.

From the history of the chocolate tree

The chocolate tree appeared in European countries in the 16th century. Its discoverers were the Spaniards, who, during the conquest of South and Central America, noticed that the Indians widely used the seeds of this plant for food.

In Europe, for a long time only hot chocolate drink was prepared from cocoa seeds. In France, milk, sugar and vanilla were added to this drink. Only wealthy people could afford such a dessert.

The first confectioneries selling chocolate products opened in Great Britain in the 17th century. The visitors were exclusively representatives of the upper classes.

Until the 19th century, chocolate was consumed as a drink. It wasn't until 1819 that the first chocolate bar was created in Switzerland. In addition, the Swiss learned to obtain butter and powder from cocoa beans.

Today, chocolate tree seeds are one of the most common ingredients in a variety of desserts.

Cocoa has been a favorite drink of many people since childhood. It gives a unique taste to sweets, baked goods, and various confectionery delights. This product is the result of processing chocolate tree seeds, which will be discussed below.

Description of the appearance of the plant

First of all, let's talk about what a cocoa tree looks like. It belongs to the evergreen genus Theobroma from the Malvaceae family. Adult specimens are characterized by a straight, rather thin trunk, not exceeding 30 cm in girth, with an average height of 10 meters. The crown consists of many branches, densely leafy and widely spread. The color of the bark is brown, and the wood is yellowish. The leaf of the plant is large, round or ellipsoid in shape. Attached with a short petiole. It has a shiny, dark green surface on top and a matte, lighter shade of green underneath. The leaf dimensions reach 15 cm in width and 30 cm in length, located alternately on the branches. The life cycle of a plant can exceed a hundred years. Fruits several times a year.

Flowering and fruiting

Based on the type of flowering, the cocoa bean tree (you see the photo in the article) belongs to the so-called cauliflory. Flowers are located on the bark of large branches and trunks in large numbers. Collected in bunches or arranged individually, they are attached by short pedicels. The size of the flowers in diameter is up to 15 mm, the color is reddish-pink, white with a pink tint. Flowers are pollinated by butterflies, insects, and dung flies. They are attracted by the unpleasant floral smell. Over the course of a year, 30-40 thousand flowers appear on the tree bark, of which only 250-400 receive an ovary. Flowers appear starting from the second year of life, and fruits are set in 4-5 years. The tree does not have a clearly defined flowering period. Except for the period of heavy rains, it blooms and bears fruit continuously. Active fruiting lasts 20-25 years. The largest harvests of fruits are obtained at 10-35 years of age, then the size of the harvest gradually decreases.

Fruits of the tree

Externally, the fruits of the cocoa tree resemble, with their elongated oval shape, a torpedo melon or lemon, only larger in size and with deep grooves along the body. Individual specimens weigh 0.5 kg and are 30 cm long. The peel is dense and feels like leather. From the inside, they are a fruit with a pulp of five seed columns and pleasant sweet and sour pink or white pulp. Each such column includes 3-12 seeds. The fruit takes a long time to ripen, from six months to a year. Harvesting one harvest yields up to two hundred fruits per tree.

What do cocoa beans look like?

The seeds of the fruit are cocoa beans. A seed in a dense shell, oval in shape with two cotyledons, with an embryo inside, in red or brown shades, 20-25 mm long.

Places of growth

Where does the cocoa tree grow? Its homeland is the tropics of the South American continent and Central America with a humid, warm climate. Wild species of cocoa trees are still found there today. The plant is demanding of environmental conditions:

• The optimal temperature is 20-28 degrees Celsius.
• Partial shade without sources of direct sunlight.
• Loose and fertile soil.
• Daily need for abundant moisture.

How does it reproduce

The cocoa tree is propagated by seeds, and cuttings are also used under artificial conditions. Seeds can germinate for a short time, so sowing is done one to two weeks after they have fully ripened. The soil for planting is prepared from sand, turf soil and leaf humus. Fill a small container with it, place fresh seeds there, deepening them by 2 cm. Germination is carried out at + 20 degrees air temperature and regular humidification. The seedlings are irrigated with warm water.

Cuttings 15-20 cm in size with several leaves are cut in the spring. For propagation purposes, semi-lignified shoots are used. A cutting from a vertical shoot grows into a single-stem plant. Side shoots give rise to bush-shaped plants.

Grow a chocolate tree at home

The cocoa tree is grown at home in another way:

• Prepare a loose soil mixture with the addition of fertilizers.
• Pour it into a container for planting.
• Bean seeds are soaked in warm water for a day.
• Make holes in the soil 2-3 cm deep and pour water into each.
• A grain is poked into the prepared holes, sprinkled with soil.
• The container is left in a warm, lit place.
• Don't forget about regular watering.

If everything is done correctly, sprouts will appear after 2-3 weeks. When transplanting a seedling to a permanent place, drainage is made from sand or other suitable material at the bottom of the pot. The roots of this moisture-loving plant cannot tolerate stagnant water. For the full existence of a chocolate tree, you need:

• ambient temperature 20-30 degrees Celsius and sufficient humidity;
• partial shade, no drafts;
• fertilizing with organic fertilizers monthly from March to September;
• in the summer months, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers with a predominant nitrogen content is added to organic ones;
• periodic treatment with special compounds for the prevention of fungal diseases.

Chocolate tree leaves can become moldy if overwatered.

Types and varieties of cocoa trees

Criollo and Forastero are the main cultivated types of chocolate trees today:

• Criollo is characterized by a nutty flavor and light brown color. Grows in Mexico and Central America. A high-yielding species, but it has one drawback: the cocoa tree (photo below) is highly susceptible to diseases and capricious in relation to weather disasters. Beans from this type of chocolate tree make up only 10% of the cocoa market. The produced chocolate has a delicate aroma and slightly bitter taste.

• Forastero is a dark brown seed with a slightly bitter taste and a strong aroma. The species ranks first in world cocoa production. Provides 80% of the market supply of raw materials. It is popular for the high yield and growth rate of trees of this species. Cultivated by countries in Africa, South and Central America. The finished product tastes characteristically bitter and slightly acidic.
• The Trinitario variety was artificially bred by crossing the two above-mentioned species. The cocoa tree (the photo is presented to your attention below) is grown in Asian countries, Central and South America. The taste of the finished product from beans of this type is characterized by pleasant bitterness and exquisite aroma.

• It should be said about a rare species called National. Grown in South America, the beans have a long-lasting, unique aroma.

Depending on the place of growth, Asian, American and African beans are distinguished. They vary in quality, taste and aroma. The name is derived from the territorial affiliation of their plantings:

• African varieties are represented by Cameroon, Ghana, Angola.
• American varieties are Bahia, Grenada, Cuba, Ecuador.
• Asian varieties - Ceylon, Java.

Harvesting the fruits of the chocolate tree

The process of collecting cocoa fruits is carried out using manual labor. Ripe fruits growing from below are cut off with a sharp knife, and those that cannot be removed from the branch by hand are knocked down with sticks. Processing of the harvested crop is also done manually: seeds are removed from crushed fruit shells, placed on banana leaves and covered with them. Then, within 5-7 days, they undergo a period of fermentation (fermentation), acquiring an aroma and their inherent delicate taste. The bitterness and acidity disappear. The beans are dried naturally in the sun or in ovens. The drying process lasts 7-10 days with daily stirring. The weight loss is half of the initial weight. The finished raw materials are sent for processing, packed in special jute bags. Beans can be stored in them for several years.

Benefits of fruits, seeds and their use, contraindications

The fruit pulp of the chocolate tree serves as raw material for the production of alcoholic beverages. The waste serves as feed for livestock. The most valuable part is the seeds (beans) - the raw material for producing cocoa butter, chocolate, and cocoa powder in food production. Cocoa butter is included in certain medicines and is also used in cosmetology. The microelements, organic acids, minerals, fats, and vitamins contained in the composition are beneficial for health. The cocoa drink tones and quickly saturates the body; it is especially useful for manual workers and athletes for quick recovery of strength. Chocolate is good for blood vessels and the heart, and has antioxidant properties.

It is undesirable for pregnant women to consume cocoa due to its ability to interfere with the absorption of calcium. You should also remember about the 0.2% caffeine contained in the beans.

From the history of the popularity of cocoa beans

Cocoa beans were brought to the countries of the Old World in the 16th century, after the discovery and conquest of the American continent. The Spaniards were the first to notice the value the Indians saw in the seeds of this plant. The cocoa tree was considered sacred by them, having divine origin. The value of the fruits was so great that they were exchanged for slaves. Spain was the first among European countries to try this product and for more than a century did not allow it to be exported beyond its borders.

For a long time, Europeans made only a drink from them - hot chocolate. Only wealthy people allowed themselves this pleasure. The first solid chocolate bar was created by a Swiss confectioner in 1819. But first, Swiss culinary specialists came up with a technology for processing seeds, extracting oil and then obtaining powder. Today, products containing chocolate tree seeds are available to most people; this is one of the most popular ingredients in confectionery treats.

Territories suitable for cocoa cultivation are located between the 10° parallels north and south of the equator. Cocoa trees prefer high temperatures with average values ​​of +32° C and +18° C at maximum and minimum values, respectively. Yield volumes from year to year depend more on the amount of precipitation than on other weather factors. Rainfall should be plentiful and dispersed throughout the year, with levels of 1500 to 2000 mm per year and daytime humidity up to 100% being preferred, with periods of drought not exceeding three months per year.

The cocoa tree is adapted to exist in any degree of light and traditionally grows in the shade of other high-growing tropical crops. The natural habitat is Amazonian forest with densely shaded areas. Young cocoa trees have a vital need for places hidden from the sun.

Cocoa grows in a wide variety of soil types. The tree needs soil containing coarse particles and a moderate amount of nutrients distributed to a depth of 1.5 meters, which will ensure the development of a good root system. Cocoa can withstand waterlogging for short periods of time, but excess moisture should not be retained for weeks. Insufficient soil moisture and drought are detrimental to these plants.

According to rough estimates, cocoa is now grown on 70,000 km 2 around the world. For many years, the top three countries in terms of cocoa bean production have been Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Indonesia. Other major exporters of cocoa products are Nigeria, Cameroon, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico and other countries in South America, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and some tropical island states.

Over the past 30 years, the volume of cocoa cultivation has almost tripled and reached 3.6 million tons of beans due to the expansion of areas under plantations. Agricultural producers have not achieved much success in increasing productivity, since the plant is quite distinctive and additional fertilization and selection do not produce tangible results.

Cocoa is grown both by large agro-industrial companies and small producers, which are millions of ordinary farmers who have small cocoa plantings on their own land along with other crops. Enterprises that procure beans buy the harvest from such farmers in the entire available volume, and thus a large part of the world's volume of grown chocolate is formed.

Cocoa trees are often susceptible to viral and fungal diseases, which result in the loss of the entire crop or the plants themselves. Which makes the process of growing cocoa beans quite a risky business, sometimes leading to bankruptcy of already poor farmers. The areas where cocoa grows are initially significantly limited by climatic conditions, but as a result of global changes, unprecedented droughts and floods, these areas are shrinking. In a few decades, cocoa shortages are predicted to occur due to reasons beyond human control. Probably, in the near future, real chocolate will become an expensive product, a real sign of luxury.

Tell your friends about it.

The lands of Central and South America are recognized as the birthplace of the chocolate tree. Nowadays, wild cocoa (chocolate tree), belonging to the Sterkuliev family, is almost never seen. The plant has been domesticated since the time of the development of South American lands by the Spaniards. It is cultivated on plantations.

Theobroma - Ancient Greek meaning "food of the gods". It truly lives up to its name. Treats made from cocoa beans have a divine taste. Chocolate, be it a hot drink, a hard bar, a candy, a paste or a cream, is a constant delight for every person.

Cocoa growing area

In the regions where the chocolate tree grows, special natural and climatic conditions prevail. It is mainly cultivated in the tropics, stretching across America, Africa and Oceania. African countries are the main suppliers of cocoa beans. They supply up to 70% of this product to the world market.

Ghana is recognized as the largest supplier. In the capital of this country, Accra, the largest African market has been built, where cocoa beans are sold. The harvest of chocolate beans in (Côte d'Ivoire) reaches 30% of the total amount produced in the world. Indonesia is also considered a major market player.

A lot of fruits are collected from chocolate trees on the island of Bali, where the combination of mountain climate and fertile volcanic soils is ideal for growing cocoa. Cocoa seeds are imported from Nigeria, Brazil, Cameroon, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Malaysia and Colombia.

Cocoa growing conditions

It is difficult to find a tree more whimsical than cocoa. It requires special living conditions. The incredible sissy chocolate tree is capable of developing and bearing fruit only in multi-tiered tropical forests. The plant settles in the lower tier of the forest. Where shade and dampness do not disappear, and the temperature ranges from + 24 to + 28 0 C.

It loves places with fertile, loose soils covered with fallen leaves, where it rains incessantly and there is no wind. Only the canopy that forms in multi-tiered tropical rain forests can create such growing conditions.

For example, in the Amazon basin, with the onset of the rainy season, when the tributaries of the river, overflowing their banks, turn the lowlands into endless lakes a meter deep, each chocolate tree stands practically in water for many weeks. However, in such conditions the plants do not rot, but, on the contrary, continue to develop.

Growing chocolate tree on plantations

The capricious chocolate tree is demanding on temperature conditions. It is completely incapable of development if the temperature does not rise above 21 0 C. The optimal temperature for its growth is considered to be 40 0 ​​C. And at the same time, direct exposure to sunlight is harmful to it.

Therefore, in order to ensure normal growth of trees, they are planted in mixed plantings. Cocoa thrives among avocados, bananas, mangoes, coconuts and rubber trees. Fancy trees, easily susceptible to many diseases, require constant care and careful care. They are harvested only by hand.

Description of the chocolate tree

The average height of straight-trunked evergreen trees is 6 meters. However, some specimens have no problem growing up to 9 or even 15 meters. The trunks of the plants (up to 30 cm in girth with yellowish wood) are covered with brown bark and crowned with wide, branched, dense crowns.

Trees that can live in the shade of plantings that are flooded with rain have giant oblong-elliptical leaves. The size of thin, entire, alternate evergreen leaves, sitting on short petioles, is comparable to the size of a newspaper page. Their length is about 40 cm and width is about 15 cm.

Thanks to the chocolate, it catches the crumbs of light that barely ooze through the lush greenery of plants endowed with greater height. The growth of giant foliage is not characterized by gradualness (the leaves do not bloom one after another). It is characterized by wave-like development. Either the leaves freeze for several weeks or even months and do not grow at all, then suddenly there is an extraordinary surge in their development - several of them bloom at the same time.

Fruiting is observed all year round. The first flowering and formation of fruits is observed in the 5-6th year of the plant’s life. Their fruiting period lasts 30-80 years. The chocolate tree bears fruit twice a year. It produces abundant harvests after 12 years of life.

Clusters of small pinkish-white flowers shoot right through the bark covering the trunks and large branches. The inflorescences, which emit a disgusting odor, are pollinated by woodlice midges. Brown and yellow fruits, similar in shape to a small elongated ribbed melon, hang from the trunks. Their surface is indented with ten grooves.

Chocolate Tree Seeds

They take 4 months to mature. Due to such a long ripening, they are constantly covered with both flowers and fruits. Fruits 30 cm long, 5-20 cm in diameter and weighing 200-600 g contain 30-50 cocoa beans. The beans are covered with a dense leathery shell of yellow, red or orange tones. Each almond-shaped seed is 2-2.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide.

Longitudinal rows of beans are surrounded by juicy, sweetish pulp, which is considered a delicacy by squirrels and monkeys. They suck out the watery pulp, discarding what is valuable to people - beans used as raw materials for the production of cocoa and chocolate.

Harvesting cocoa fruits

Since the chocolate tree is quite tall, not only machetes are used to collect the fruit, but also knives attached to long poles. The harvested fruits are cut into 2-4 shares. The beans, extracted from the pulp by hand, are laid out for drying on banana leaves, trays or in closed boxes.

When the seeds are dried in the sun, cocoa produces a bittersweet taste with tart notes, which is less valuable. Therefore, preference is given to closed drying of beans. The fermentation period takes from 2 to 9 days. During the drying process, the size of the seeds decreases.

Seed processing

Brown-violet cocoa beans have an oily taste and a pleasant aroma. The seeds, sorted, peeled, fried and freed from parchment shells, are crushed and sifted through a sieve, obtaining high-quality cocoa powder.

Parchment shells are used as fertilizer, and the powder is accepted for further processing by any tree, or rather its raw materials obtained from seeds - an excellent basis for many delicacies.

Dark chocolate is obtained from fried crumbs, ground into a thick, stretchy mass, by cooling. By enriching the resulting mixture with sugar, vanilla, milk powder and other additives, various chocolates are obtained.

Cocoa butter is obtained from roasted fruits that are pressed. The crumbs remaining after pressing are ground into cocoa powder. Thus, the chocolate tree provides two valuable products to humanity. The confectionery factory uses both powder and oil to produce all kinds of chocolate treats. The oil is also widely used in the production of perfumes, cosmetics and pharmacological products.

Benefits of cocoa

Cocoa is not just a tasty treat, it has healing properties. Its composition is based on proteins, fiber, gum, alkaloids, theobromine, fat, starch and coloring matter. Thanks to theobromine, which has a tonic effect, cocoa has found use in medicine. With its help, diseases of the throat and lungs are successfully suppressed.

Treats and pharmacological preparations made from cocoa restore strength and calm. They normalize cardiac activity. They are used in the prevention of myocardial infarction, stroke and cancer. Cocoa butter cures hemorrhoids.