Cocoa Plant: Origin and Characteristics

Cocoa tree: where does cocoa come from?

Its scientific name is Theobroma cacao, which literally translates as "food of the gods": the cocoa tree is a small evergreen tree in the Malvaceae family, native to the tropical regions of Central and South America. Its drooping, oblong leaves are shiny and bright green. Cocoa mass and cocoa butter are obtained from the seeds of its fruit (cocoa pods), before being used to make chocolate. 

Cocoa plantations require a special humid climate to grow, with temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius, which can be found near the equator. The plants require consistent temperatures and should not be exposed to direct sunlight. In fact, they are usually sheltered by a banana tree (a technique known as "sombramiento") and kept at a low height to make harvesting the fruit easier. 

While the flowers bloom constantly, only one in every one hundred actually becomes a pod. Cocoa plantations bear fruit twice a year in different periods, depending on the region in which they’re located (usually in March and October). 

 

Where is cocoa grown: cocoa-producing countries

The cocoa plant is native to the upper Amazon basin (Brazil, Colombia and Peru). These trees were also grown in Mexico, long before America was discovered, and the seeds were used as a form of currency. Although Christopher Columbus brought cocoa beans back to Europe in 1502 at the end of his fourth voyage, cocoa didn't make its mark in Europe until around twenty years later, when Cortez, after trying the drink the Mayans called xocoatl, sent some cocoa beans to Spain. 

Today, cocoa is grown by 40-50 million cocoa farmers in more than 50 countries worldwide. Ninety per cent of the world's cocoa is grown on small family-owned farms, while only five per cent is grown on larger commercial plantations. For most of these farmers, cocoa is the primary source of income. 

Like the grape varieties involved in wine production, cocoa beans can have different flavours and nuances depending on the variety and place in which the plant is grown (commonly known as a terroir):

1. The Forastero variety produces a smoother, more rounded cocoa pod with a thicker shell, and the cocoa derived has a more classic chocolate flavour;

2. The Criollo variety produces a longer and more knobbly pod with a thinner shell, and the cocoa derived has more floral, fruity and nutty notes;

3. The Trinitario variety is a hybrid of the Forastero and Criollo varieties.