The Choclate Prince

The tropical fruit Theobroma Cacao or Cacao is a native fruit of Central and South America. Theobroma is a Greek word for Food of the Gods. It is commercially grown all throughout the tropics. However, 70% of the plantations can be found in Africa.

 

Ghana in West Africa, and Asia have the best quality Cacao beans which the chocolate industry uses. There are different types of Cacao planted or grown in specific areas.

 

Cacao mostly grown in tropical places, can be found at roughly 10 degrees north and south of the Equator. The humid tropical climate as well as the regular rains and short dry seasons are the best factors for growing this fruit.

 

This amazing tree needs to have temperatures between 21- 23 degrees Celsius with a regular rainfall of 1,000 – 2,500mm per year for it to grow a high quality chocolate.

 

West Africa

 

Ghana, Nigeria and Cote D’lvore produce the best quality Cacao in the world. In 1879, the fruit was first planted in Ghana which is now the largest producer of this fruit. The reason behind this - families are growing small family farms of Cacao on their property. Cacao farming is unsophisticated and simple, and Cacao can be easily grown anywhere within Ghana. It does not need machines like other farming crops.

 

Asia

Small and large plantations owned by public or private persons are develop everywhere on ths continent.  There are even small farms that are sprouting up due to the ease of care that this fruit requires, and the little effort this fruit asks from its planters. In Malaysia and Indonesia, they have started planting this fruit as they have favorable weather conditions for growing Cacao.

 

A normal Cacao tree can generate 2,000 pods per year. The pods are enclosed in a sticky white pulp which contains around 40 to 140 seeds. The pulp is bitter at the same time sweet. It can be eaten or it can be made into a drink.

 

The fruit just grow out from the branches and even the trunks of the plants themselves. The seeds of the Cacao are extremely bitter when you bite them - a huge contrast from the chocolate which is the product of it.

 

The fruits growing on the branches and trunks of the trees attract animals who are interested in eating them. After they eat, they just discarded the seeds which help in the production of the fruit as it can grow into another tree.

 

The process of making the seeds into chocolates starts by harvesting the pods carefully so as not to damage the beans. Fermentation which follows makes the bitter taste of the seed develop into more edible and chocolaty. The seeds are then dried under the heat of the sun for about a week developing the taste even more.

 

Some chocolate manufacturers hasten the process by drying them over the fire. Once the seeds are dried, they are ready to be shipped to chocolate factories so they can be made into our favorite chocolates.