The Cacao Tree Gets a Scientific Name
It was around the year 1750 that Carolus Linnaeus, the great Swedish botanist, dubbed the plant from which we get chocolate “Theobroma cacao,” which means, “food of the gods.” The plant that bears this name is a tree in the Sterculiaceae plant family, which generally grows to be about twenty feet high. The cacao plant thrives in a warm, humid environment with well-drained soil, and grows well in the shade. The cacao tree most likely originated in the Amazon, but has spread across the tropical regions of the world. Ghana, Nigeria, and the Ivory Coast produce most of the world’s chocolate, while Brazil, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic also generate a significant quantity.
Varieties of Cacao
There are three main cultivars of the cacao plant; they are Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario. The cacao beans from each of the three cultivars have different characteristics. Chocolate made from Criollo beans is considered to be of the highest quality, as Criollo beans have a flavor that is less bitter and more aromatic than other cacao beans. Only about 10% of the world’s chocolate is Criollo, and the Criollo cultivar is known to be susceptible to the myriad fungi that attack cacao plants. Forastero plants are much more common, but are reputed to have a more bitter, less chocolaty flavor. Trinitario is a hybrid of the two that is named after Trinidad where it originated. Trinitario chocolate is growing in popularity because the plant is hardy like the Forastero, but its beans have a rich chocolate flavor like the Criollo.
Flowers and Pods
A cacao tree usually begins to flower when it is about five years old. A single tree can bear thousands of pink or white flowers, which grow directly out of the trunk and the branches. However, only a small percentage of the flowers will go on to bear fruit. The fruit of the cacao tree is a pod that is roughly the shape of a football. These pods can turn brilliant shades of orange and red when they are ready to harvest. There are usually two harvesting seasons for cacao each year, and these vary depending on location. Because the trees are so fragile and cannot be climbed, the pods must be harvested from the ground. This is commonly done by using a machete to cut the pods from the tree. Once the pods are cut down, they are split open, again with a machete. Inside are found the cocoa beans that will be used to make chocolate.