All about the chocolate tree. What does a chocolate tree look like? Collection of cocoa fruits

And now, in continuation of the culinary theme, we will tell you 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 also share delicious dessert ideas.

Many people love chocolate, cakes, hot cocoa, and other various desserts that include 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, it improves mood and stimulates the production of the "hormone of joy" - endorphin, on which our sensation of pleasure and pleasure depends, it also has an exciting effect, while increasing vitality and additional vitality appears.

Regular consumption of cocoa in small doses (5 raw beans per day) helps to strengthen the nervous and immune systems, improve blood circulation in the brain, lower blood pressure, stimulate breathing, and also prevents 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 it helps to focus and concentrate, thereby increasing efficiency.

Raw cocoa beans are among the leaders in the content of antioxidants, which deactivate free radicals in the cells of our body and thus protect us from viral and bacterial infection. The melanin contained in cocoa protects the skin from ultraviolet and infrared radiation.

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

During heat treatment, which loses some of its useful properties, so all of the above, to a greater extent, applies specifically to raw - live 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 cultivation and production of cocoa are located in Central America and Africa, and the largest producer in the world is the Ivory Coast (Ivory Coast), which produces about 30% of the annual crop worldwide.

Indonesia is a fairly large player in the market, and in the top ten producers of cocoa beans it occupies an honorable 2nd place. The islet of Bali also contributes - the mountainous climate in the region of volcanoes, in the central and eastern parts 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 in our plans, but now we are in Indonesia, and therefore went to the Bali 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 fruits look like in their original form? How is cocoa powder made? We found answers to these and many other questions from local workers of Bali farms.

Cocoa has a large fruit (15-20 cm), shaped like a cucumber and a lemon at the same time, equipped with longitudinal grooves. The immature fruit is green in color (see photo above), gradually becoming maroon as it ripens


and fully ripe, acquires a rich bright yellow color

Its peel is quite tough, but you can cut it with an ordinary knife. The farm workers picked some fruits for us and showed a master class on opening the fruit and extracting the seeds without using a knife - just hit a sharp stone or ledge in a stone building several times hard, 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 in taste, sweet with a slight sourness.

Fruits are formed within 30-80 days. Cocoa fully ripens in 4 months, and mature 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 gives a high yield, starting from the 12th year of life. The crop is harvested twice a year, the first time at the end of the rainy season - before the onset of droughts (in Bali this time is in the middle of 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 harvesting and mass production of oil and powder for sale starts.

The word "cocoa" refers to the fruits of the cocoa tree, and 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 in its composition, begins to ferment, reaching a temperature of 50º C.


The seeds do not germinate because alcohol is released during the fermentation process, while the beans lose some of their bitterness. Such fermentation lasts 10 days, during which time the beans are saturated with their typical aromatic and flavor 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 a good-natured answer followed - small plantations do not have a lot of money, because this is expensive equipment, and the climatic conditions in Bali and in Indonesia as a whole allow the drying process in the sun to be carried out without additional cash 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 roasted, 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, getting 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 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 on our own, and then use them to make raw food desserts.

as well as 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 did not begin to squeeze the oil from 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 recipes very soon in our new section dedicated to cooking 🙂

For now, just a few photos.

Do you have any interesting gourmet tastes in desserts? Share in the comments.

In the next post, we will continue to share the experience of an interesting life in Bali and talk about visiting mouth-watering tangerine plantations.

Everyone loves chocolate, and everyone knows that it is made from cocoa beans that grow on an evergreen chocolate tree.

Where do beans grow?

Cocoa beans grow in subequatorial countries with a warm and highly humid climate. Most of these are South American countries.

The centers of production for a long time were Ecuador and Venezuela. As popularity grew in European countries, plantations of chocolate trees began to increase. So the cultivation of cocoa beans began in Indonesia and throughout the continent of Africa.

Today, Africa accounts for 69% of the world's cocoa bean crop. Second place for d'Ivoire - 30%

The largest producers of cocoa beans are such countries as:

• Indonesia;
• ganna;
• Brazil;
• Ecuador;
• Cameroon;
• Nigeria;
• Malaysia;
• Colombia.

Conditions for growing and harvesting cocoa

The chocolate tree is quite capricious about weather conditions. He needs a temperature not higher than plus twenty-eight and not lower than plus twenty-one degrees. High humidity and exposure to sunlight have a bad effect on it. The chocolate tree bears fruit all year round. Two crops are harvested a year - before the arrival of the rainy season and at its end.

Harvesting cocoa is a laborious and exhausting process. It is made by hand with the help of a machete and special knives fixed on poles. The fruits are not attached to the branches, but to the trunk of the chocolate tree. They are berry-shaped in shape, with longitudinal grooves, with ridges between them. The fruits are cut and the seeds are taken out. They are dried on special pallets from two to nine days.

The technology of cultivation and production of cocoa beans in each country takes place in its own way. Africa is dominated by small businesses, while America is dominated by the largest plantations.

Taste, aroma and color depend on the place of growth, harvesting characteristics, and bean processing technology. Cocoa varieties are named according to their country of origin. For example: "Cameroon", "Ganna", "Brazil", etc. Cocoa production is increasing every year. Consider the statistics of this growth.

Production of cocoa beans in the world

Year	tons
1980	1671
1900	2532
2010	4231

In order to expand the palette of taste and aroma in the production of recent years, blends are used that combine the most noble, expensive varieties and more affordable ones. Cocoa is not only tasty, but also a healthy product, loved by both children and adults.

The chocolate tree produces fruits that are used to make a favorite delicacy for many sweet tooth. On the confectionery shelves you can see various chocolates, drinks, figurines, etc. Everyone knows what chocolate is, but not many people know what it is made of.

A little about the tree

Cacao is a chocolate tree known as Theobroma cacao (for the first time Carl Linnaeus called it that), which means “food of the gods”. The tree belongs to the Malvaceae family, earlier it was referred to the Sterculia family. The Theobroma genus includes about 20 species, but only Theobroma cacao is cultivated. This evergreen tree reaches a height of 10-12 m. Its homeland is the subequatorial regions of South America. It is very whimsical: it requires a humid climate, temperatures above 25 ° and well-drained soil.

The chocolate tree is characterized by a dense crown with dark green leaves and small pinkish flowers, which are located both on the branches and on the trunk of the tree. This flowering is called caulifloria. The fruits are formed regardless of the season and have the shape of an elongated melon, reaching 40 cm in length.

Ripening occurs within 4 months, while the fruits change their color from green to brownish-red.

The fruits can contain up to 50 almond-shaped cocoa beans arranged in 5 rows. They are closed in a two-lobed dense peel, which is immersed in white pulp. One chocolate tree brings only 30-40 fruits at a time. At the same time, trees under the age of 5 years are recommended to constantly cut the buds, since it is believed that the full ripening of the fruit occurs only by 8 years. And only then it will be possible to collect a full-fledged harvest for several decades.

fruit varieties

The chocolate tree produces several types of cocoa beans. Moreover, they differ significantly in aromatic and taste qualities. Some may have a sharp taste, while others may be much more gentle. Among them:

1. Fragrant and high-quality cocoa bean variety Criollo.
2. The bulk of world production (80%) is made up of Forastego cocoa beans. They are very similar in taste to strawberries.
3. Variety Trinitario. This is a hybrid created in 1727.
4. Calabacillo cocoa beans are of the lowest quality.

The Criollo cocoa bean variety makes up only 3-4% of world production. It is used in the preparation of high-quality types of chocolate. Due to the fact that it is rare and its price is high, the variety is rarely used in its pure form. The Trinitario variety makes up to 15% of the cocoa that is produced all over the world. Now the bulk of cocoa is exported by the countries of West Africa (Nigeria, Cameroon) and South America (Brazil).

Excursion into history

The word "cocoa" was left behind by the Olmec Indian civilization, which existed in 1500-400 years. BC. The Maya were the first to cultivate the chocolate tree. The Maya and Aztecs made a drink from cocoa powder by adding water and red chili to it. For them, this drink played a huge role. It was used in almost all significant rituals, and in the sanctuaries there was always a container with a drink called "xocalate". Cocoa beans are an excellent aphrodisiac, and due to this property, they were used in the preparation of a love potion or in the Aztec marriage ritual.

Europeans got acquainted with this wonderful drink during the conquests of America. True, H. Columbus was not too impressed with him and only a little later was brought by the Spaniards to Europe. Local confectioners took a long time to select the required ratio of ingredients, but when they succeeded, the chocolate drink began to quickly win the love of the elite.

Already in the 17th century, the first plantations and planters appeared in South America. Local poor people and slaves were used to work and care for chocolate trees. It was a very difficult task, even when slavery had already been abolished.

Europeans brought the chocolate tree to Western Europe, where the climate was suitable, and it took root well.

Now African plantations are no worse than South American ones.

In the 18th century, the first places where ordinary people could taste chocolate began to open in France. Everyone liked the chocolate drink, so similar establishments began to open everywhere in Europe. It should be noted that all this time chocolate was eaten only in the form of a drink, and the first chocolate bar was made only at the beginning of the 19th century.

Picking fruits and preparing treats

When the fruits are ripe, they are harvested by pickers, cut from the trees with a long knife. After that, the fruits are cut, while choosing cocoa beans from them. Then they can be laid out on the ground covered with banana leaves and allowed to dry in the sun, or left in a closed container for several days, where they ferment and change shade under the influence of yeast and their enzymes. Such fruits become oily and have a pleasant aroma, and they are valued higher than those that were dried immediately.

Fermented beans undergo the same drying in the sun, after which they are cleaned from the shell, similar to parchment (good fertilizer). Peeled cocoa beans are crushed, and then the resulting crumb is sieved using several sieves. After that, the fruits are roasted and ground, during which cocoa butter is squeezed out. The result is cocoa powder. To make chocolate, cocoa butter, milk powder, vanilla, nuts, or other ingredients are added to it as desired. There are several types of chocolate depending on how much cocoa mass it contains (black - at least 60%, dark - 35%, milk - at least 25% and 15% of milk powder, white - at least 20% and 15% dry milk).

Healing properties

Medicinal properties of cocoa beans were used by the Aztecs.

They used them for bleeding, fever, intestinal colic. Theobroma cocoa beans contain theobromine, which is very similar to caffeine and has a tonic effect. In medicine, cocoa butter is actively used, because. it is part of various creams and ointments, as well as portable and anesthetic suppositories. Cocoa butter is also present in expensive lipsticks. Due to the fact that during the use of chocolate endorphins are produced in the body, chocolate has an anti-stress effect and has a beneficial effect on the human brain.

Chocolate trees are plants almost as mythical as their fruits. And, perhaps, it is the association with a favorite delicacy that makes indoor cocoa such an exclusive part of any plant lovers collection. Cocoa trees are one of the most difficult indoor crops to grow in pots. They look original, but not so exotic, they cause a lot of trouble with care. And the conditions they need can rather be called greenhouses. However, the cacao plant is gaining popularity, bursting into the rankings of the best indoor fruit-bearing crops along with pomegranate and coffee.

Chocolate tree in the room - features of growing cocoa. © US Capitol

Chocolate room miracle - what is it?

The plant, whose fruits give the world a favorite delicacy - chocolate, belongs to one of the most valuable fruit-bearing crops on the planet. cocoa, chocolate tree, or cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) is a tropical plant, represented in culture by more than 30 varieties and countless varieties that differ in taste and aromatic qualities. This plant comes from the hot and humid forests of the Amazon, which is still widely cultivated in South America today.

Representatives of the genus Theobroma(Theobroma) used to be classified in the Sterculiaceae family, but modern classifications have long since reversed this confusion and placed cocoa in a much more similar plant community, the Malvaceae.

In nature, chocolate trees are not the largest of the tropical giants, but easily recognizable and powerful evergreens. With a trunk width of 15 to 30 cm, cocoa trees rise to a height of 8 m; in a room format, cocoa is similar in size to citrus fruits - it completely depends on the formation. It may not grow above 50-90 cm, or it may become a true giant.

The rhizome is quite compact and shallow, although the presence of a taproot requires more careful handling of the plant during transplantation. The bark is brown-brown, on young branches it is green, the color changes unevenly. Indoor cocoa has prepared many surprises, surprising with its beauty crowns of large and spectacular leaves. Thanks to whorled branching and spreading, the silhouette of cocoa trees looks massive and impressive.

Reaching a length of 30 cm with a width of only up to 15, lanceolate-oval, leathery cocoa leaves drooping, resembling tissues with their light roughness, they stand out from any other plants both in the natural environment and in room culture. Leaves develop unusually, 3-4 leaves bloom at the same time, the plant seems to be updated in jerks or flashes with intervals between releasing new leaves from 3 to 12 weeks.

The color of the greens of cocoa trees is classic, medium green, rich cold tone on the upper side and lighter on the lower side. The reverse side of the leaves is matte, but the upper side is glossy, their surface is wrinkled-relief. Young leaves are light yellow or pink, gradually recolor and become more rigid. The leaves are attached to thin and short petioles.

The cocoa blossom is very original. In small bunches, and in indoor cocoa - more often one at a time, small, about 1.5 cm in diameter, flowers sessile on short pedicels with beige-yellow petals and pink, saturated color sepals bloom on the shoots and trunk. The shape of the flower is very original, somewhat reminiscent of garden aquilegia due to the complicated structure.

The unpleasant aroma of cocoa is a kind of compensation for much more appetizing fruits. The repulsive smell of chocolate trees attract pollinating insects in nature, indoor cocoa requires cross-pollination for fruiting. Plants are able to bloom from the second year, but they begin to bear fruit only at the age of 4-x-5 years. In rooms, they rarely bear fruit, only in ideal conditions.

Cocoa fruits are oval, elongated, ribbed berries of yellow or reddish color, hiding a colorless juicy pulp under a rough and thick skin. Seeds - those same cocoa beans - are arranged in two rows. Up to 50 seeds ripen in one fruit. The fruits ripen from 6 to 12 months, slowly and gradually. When overripe, seeds can germinate in fruits. Seeds after extraction need a week of fermentation and thorough drying.

Cocoa trees are one of the most difficult fruiting plant species to grow and maintain. © organically

Conditions for growing indoor cocoa

Cocoa trees are one of the most difficult fruiting plant species to grow and maintain. It is a remarkably delicate and capricious crop, sensitive to pollution and changing conditions, which largely explains not only the ever-increasing prices of cocoa beans, but also the critical situation with the preservation of plantations in a changing climate.

Chocolate trees completely inherit their character of a capricious sissy even in room culture. This plant is not for everyone, because for cocoa trees you need to create very specific conditions. For cocoa in a pot format, you need to recreate difficult conditions - secluded lighting and very high humidity.

Chocolate trees are more suitable for growing in greenhouses or warm winter gardens, flower collections of tropical plants than for ordinary living rooms. It is not easy to grow them as a houseplant, but it is possible with careful control of lighting, temperature and humidity.

Lighting and placement

In nature, cocoa is used to growing in the lower tier of the multi-layered tropical jungle, in twilight, diffused, soft lighting. In a room format, chocolate trees change their habits a little, developing poorly in strong shade, but they still cannot stand direct sunlight. Due to their shade tolerance, they do not require seasonal changes in lighting.

Cocoa trees thrive on the sills of east windows. Partially south-oriented windows are also suitable for them, on which plants are placed with protection from direct sun. Cocoa trees can be introduced into the interior only where there are panoramic or southern windows, and even then not too far from the window.

Temperature and ventilation

Cocoa trees are extremely heat-loving tropical plants. They die when the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, at 15-16 degrees, problems begin and visible disturbances in their development. To grow a cocoa tree, you need to create really stable warm conditions for it. Ideally, the air temperature should remain at the level of + 24 ... + 25 ° С degrees all year round. Too extreme heat, indicators above 28 degrees, the tree does not like, but a fall below 23 degrees begins to affect its leaves. The same temperatures are maintained all year round.

Cocoa does not tolerate drafts, sudden changes in temperature, proximity to heating appliances. It is better not to move plants and not to shift often. Cocoa trees cannot stand outdoors.

The unpleasant aroma of cocoa is a kind of compensation for much more appetizing fruits. © MUCC

Cocoa care at home

Cocoa is capricious and demanding to care for. He needs attention, careful procedures and gentle handling. The most difficult thing to care for is maintaining a very high humidity.

Watering and humidity

Despite the fact that in the Amazonian forests cocoa grows with partial flooding and tolerates damp conditions, it is extremely sensitive to waterlogging and stagnant water in a room culture. It is necessary to water cocoa very carefully, making sure that no water remains in the trays, and the substrate partially, in the upper 2–3 cm, dries out between these procedures. In winter, even at absolutely stable temperatures, watering is reduced for cocoa, increasing the interval between waterings by 1-2 days after the top layer of the substrate has dried and reducing the amount of water.

Soft, warm water is used for cocoa trees. Its temperature should exceed the air temperature in the room.

High air humidity, from 70% and above, is a condition without which the plant cannot be grown. Chocolate trees cannot tolerate dry air and wither quickly in normal indoor environments. When growing this crop, it is worth considering all possible comprehensive measures to create high humidity - from spraying to installing humidifiers.

When grown in tropical collections, the plant is content with a common humectant along with other tropical plants. If cocoa is the only moisture-loving plant in the collection, then for it, instead of a special device, you can try to create high humidity with home analogues - pallets with wet moss, indoor fountains, bowls of water, frequent spraying. When spraying, you need to choose small sprayers and avoid strong wetting of the leaves, carrying out this procedure at a certain distance from the plant and from a height.

Flowering chocolate tree. © Anne Elliot

Top dressing and fertilizer composition

Even indoor cocoa trees prefer organic rather than mineral fertilizers. They can be combined and interleaved. When choosing complex preparations, preference should be given to fertilizers with a high nitrogen content - preparations for decorative leafy plants.

For cocoa, the frequency of feeding is 1 time in 2-3 weeks for mineral fertilizers and 1 time per month for organic fertilizers. Fertilizer is applied all year round, reducing the frequency in winter by half. For young plants, you can alternate liquid foliar dressings.

Trimming and shaping

Without formation, cocoa will not retain either the compactness or the beauty of the foliage. There is nothing difficult in pruning a plant: if desired, starting from a young age and a height of 30 cm, you can shorten the tops of the shoots in cocoa to create a certain silhouette and thicken the crown. Usually, the tops of the plant are pinched or pruned from 1/3 to ½ of the most actively growing and elongated shoots.

Regardless of age, shape and size, for any chocolate trees, cutting out dry, damaged, weak, thin, unproductive branches that are too thick is mandatory.

For this plant, pruning is carried out in early spring.

Transplant and substrate

Cocoa has a tap root, but does not form a very deep root system. The plant must be grown in containers with a shallow depth or diameter and height equal to each other. Cocoa prefers containers made from natural materials. The diameter of the container is increased by a few centimeters for young plants and by 2 sizes for adults.

The frequency of transplantation depends on the intensity of the development of the root system. Cocoa is transferred into new containers only when the roots completely braid the earthen ball.

For chocolate trees, you need to carefully select the soil. A slightly acidic reaction within the pH range of 5.8 to 6.0 is ideal. The structure of the soil should be well-drained, light, nutritious.

When transplanting a plant, only loose soil can be removed. Avoiding contact with the roots, cocoa is transferred into new containers.

Diseases, pests and problems in cultivation

Cocoa can suffer from spider mites and scale insects, but more often the difficulties are associated with improper care. With signs of mold on the leaves, depression, pest damage, the fight is immediately carried out with the help of insecticides and fungicides.

Rooted cuttings of indoor cocoa. © Dallis Church

Propagation of indoor cocoa

Indoor cacao is often advertised as being easy to grow from seed. But in fact, the seed method of reproduction is far from the most optimal. The seeds of the plant are sown immediately after collection or at least for 2 weeks after ripening. They lose their germination very quickly even when stored in the cold.

Sowing is carried out in a universal loose substrate or inert soil. For cocoa, medium-sized individual pots are used, and not sowing in common boxes. The seeds are deepened by 2-3 cm, following the strictly vertical arrangement of the seeds with the wide end down. The soil is watered after sowing, further maintaining a stable light moisture of the substrate. For seed germination, it is not heat that is needed, but a temperature of 23 to 25 degrees Celsius.

Lighting matters only after germination: seedlings are moved to bright but diffused lighting, air humidity is increased, or plants are placed in a greenhouse. Young shoots of cocoa develop very quickly, in a couple of months they reach a height of 30 cm and produce up to 8 leaves. It is during this period that they are transferred to larger pots and begin to form. Plants require very strict adherence to the rules of care.

A simpler and more productive method of reproduction is cuttings. In cocoa, semi-woody shoots are used, partially retaining their green color, but with completely green leaves. The length of the cuttings is up to 15-20 cm. Only 3-4 leaves are left on them. Treatment with growth stimulants accelerates rooting.

Plant cuttings in a moistened light substrate or inert soil, in large general containers. At very high humidity, rooting should take place at temperatures from 26 to 30 degrees Celsius. Shelter from the cuttings is removed gradually, the plants are watered carefully. Cocoa is transferred to individual containers only after the formation of a strong root system, several months after the appearance of signs of rooting. The older the plant, the more cuttings can be cut from it, starting with no more than 3 cuttings for 1-3 year old cocoa trees.

Occasionally, plants are also propagated by leaf cuttings, which are cut, leaving 5 mm of shoot above and below the kidney. The cuttings are fixed on miniature sticks, buried with the lower cut into the soil and rooted in the same way as ordinary apical cuttings. The conditions of detention are similar, but rooting takes twice as long.

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans and sugar, and milk powder, nuts, and other flavorings are added to it. But the main ingredient is cocoa.

Among botanists, a tree with cocoa beans is called Theobroma. This term was introduced by Carl Linnaeus. From the ancient Greek "Theobroma" is translated as the food of the gods.

The tree itself is often used for decorative purposes, as the plant is evergreen. It reaches a height of 15 m. Theobroma leaves are also large in size - up to 30 cm in length.

Features of the chocolate tree

The method of fruiting in Theobroma is caulifloria. It consists in the germination of flowers of a pinkish hue first, and then in the fruits on the very trunk of the tree. It is important to note that it is not bees that pollinate the flowers, but midges.

The fruit consists of 2 components: the fruit and the seed column. Visually, the beans are large, up to 30 cm in length, weighing less than 1 kg. Inside - columns with 40-50 seeds of cocoa beans. The pulp of the fruit is sugary, so it is not eaten. In a year 1 tree brings up to 10,000 cocoa beans.

The birthplace of cocoa and the history of chocolate

It is believed that the cocoa drink has existed for about 4000 years. Initially, the birthplace of the cocoa tree is the Amazon because of the hot tropical climate. The Indians from Central America were the first to process grains. It is believed that the Olmec people (also inhabitants of Central America) first encountered cocoa in the 15th century BC.

The Mayan tribes believed that cocoa was a gift from the gods. Chocolate was drunk during the rituals and ceremonies of the birth of a child, weddings, and funerals. Among the Aztecs, the drink was not available to the inhabitants. Cocoa was consumed only by the highest nobility: priests, rulers and retinue. The Indians did not separate the cocoa beans and pulp, but ground them into one mass.

In the resulting slurry was added:

• Vanilla
• Hot peppers

This mixture was left to ferment until foam appeared. Thus, cocoa in the past was not a pleasant drink for adults and children, but light alcohol. The fruits of Theobroma were valued on a par with the local currency. For the annual harvest of one tree, up to 100 slaves were bought. The name "cacao" also comes from the Aztecs. They called the drink "chocolatl", which was written as kakahuatl.

The drink came to Europe thanks to two famous sailors:

• Christopher Columbus
• Cortes

Columbus was the first to try cocoa during sea expeditions. The traveler wrote about this in his diaries, referring to a bitter warming drink. In Europe, cocoa beans appeared in the middle of the XVI century, thanks to Cortes. The Spaniards were zealous about this discovery and introduced a ban on the export of cocoa outside the country. Other European countries recognized this drink only in 1620.

Chocolate is a solid sweetness that also contains spices, nuts, and other fillers. But in the XVI-XIX centuries, "chocolate" was a drink.

In the middle of the 16th century, chocolate was a drink made from ground cocoa beans with vanilla and cinnamon. Served cold.

In the 17th century, chocolate became a hot drink with the addition of milk and sugar. Spices were also popular. Louis XIV loved the cocoa drink, as he considered chocolate an aphrodisiac.
In the middle of the 19th century, the Dutch came up with the idea of ​​​​squeezing grains to create oil and obtain a powder. This significantly reduced the cost of the drink. All social strata of the population began to buy it. But it was still a "chocolate" drink.

By the beginning of the 20th century, chocolate had become a hard sweet made from cocoa butter.

Habitat of "chocolate" trees

Theobroma's main population is seen in tropical climates:

• South America
• Indonesia
• Territory of Oceania
• Africa

In terms of productivity, Africa and countries are in first place:

• Nigeria
• Indonesia
• Colombia
• Brazil
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador

Varieties of chocolate tree

Theobroma has 4 varieties. Each of them differs in color, aroma and taste and is suitable for the manufacture of different types of chocolate products.

• Forastero- the most popular type of cocoa, from which up to 75% of the products of this segment are made. The advantages of the variety are in the speed of ripening and the regularity of the harvest. The taste of forastero gives bitterness with a sour aftertaste. You can feel the shades on the example of ordinary dark chocolate. The largest forastero plantations are found in Africa and regions of America.

• Criollo- a variety with a nutty flavor and reduced bitterness. The disadvantage is the soreness of the species. Trees survive less on plantations, often infecting healthy plants. You can meet these cocoa beans in 10% of the world's production. Criollo habitat - Mexican regions and Central America.

• Trinitario- less popular variety (due to modification). Created from two previous types - criollo and forastero. In this modification, a nutty flavor with a slight bitterness was preserved, while endurance to diseases increased. Trinitario plantations are found in a large number of countries: regions of America, Asia.
• National- the rarest variety due to habitat. Grown only in regions of South America. The variety is highly susceptible to disease. The taste is regarded as "specific" due to the characteristic sourness.

Helpful information

Cocoa has tonic and nourishing properties due to its rich composition:

• Caffeine.
• Fats.
• Minerals.
• Vitamins A, B, E.
• Folic acid (in small amounts, safe for humans).
• Theobromine (from which the scientific name of cocoa went).

The drink is an antioxidant for the body: it removes free radicals, strengthens the vegetative-vascular system and heart valves.

In medicine, cocoa butter is used in dermatology and cosmetology. Based on raw materials, creams and nourishing ointments are created to slow down skin aging and restore water balance.

Most cocoa drinks are made from roasted beans, but cocoa from raw beans is gaining popularity. This drink gives more bitterness, tones and restores strength faster.

Expensive chocolate contains cocoa butter, but cheap brands replace it with coconut and palm.

• People with unstable blood pressure, as chocolate can affect the vascular system.
• Pregnant women - due to an obstacle in the perception of calcium by the body.
• People with diabetes (due to the sugar content in the product).

Growing cocoa trees

It is difficult to grow a cocoa tree, as the plant has a capricious nature. The temperature should always be above 20 degrees. For the proper cultivation of a plant, it is not necessary direct sunlight, but diffused light - through special filters or under a dome. The shadow of the tree is fatal.

It is also important to observe the increased humidity in the plant's habitat: constantly spray the leaves, trunk and soil, and moisten the air. Due to the difficulty in conditioning the cocoa tree is rarely grown indoors.

Tree plantations are found in hevea and palm trees. In the shade of taller plants, theobroma feels more comfortable. The height of an adult plant reaches 10 m, but on plantations it is customary to cut the leaves to a size of 6 m.

The tree does not have a specific fruiting period, as this occurs at any time of the year. After planting, the plant needs up to 6 years for full maturation and the first flowering. Further fruiting lasts from 30 to 90 years. Traditionally, the fruits are harvested before the start of the rainy seasons (2 times a year). But the time frame is not mandatory, as it depends directly on the date of planting the tree.

Cocoa tree: growing at home

Despite the difficulties of copying the living conditions natural for the cocoa tree, some gardeners take up growing it at home. It will require a greenhouse in which a constant temperature above 20 degrees will be maintained. The soil is taken loose so that water can easily flow to the roots of the plant.

Humidification for a tree is necessary plentiful, up to 3 times a day. It is not necessary to water the soil itself so often, it is enough to spray the leaves.

For planting, tree seeds are soaked for 24 hours in warm water. After that, they are planted in the soil to a depth of 2 cm. The container, with the planted seeds, is placed in a well-lit place at the required temperature. After the appearance of the first sprouts, a filter is created to supply light to the plant. Seedlings germinate in 14-21 days.

If you want an accelerated result, planting by cuttings is possible. To do this, cuttings are cut from a mature tree in the spring before the abundant rainy season. Select semi-lignified shoots no longer than 20 cm with 3-4 leaves.

You need to plant in the substrate:

• sod land
• Humus (leaf)
• Sand

It is important to make high-quality drainage in the soil for the future plant. Top dressing is recommended to be done in the summer: from May to September.

Factors that can harm the cocoa tree:

• Waterlogging
• drafts
• Temperatures below 20-30 degrees
• sunburn

bean processing

Sharp long knives are used to harvest from trees. Machine harvesting is not possible for this plant as the seeds inside the fruit can be easily damaged. The collected pulp with seeds should be immediately sent for processing to prevent the appearance of excess bitterness and acid. During processing, the crop is divided into parts and fermented in banana leaves for a week. At this stage, the beans acquire a golden color, a spicy aroma and a pleasant taste.

After fermentation, the seeds are dried. As a rule, they are laid out evenly in a naturally lit area. The grains are stirred daily for uniform drying. On large plantations, the seeds are dried in ovens.

The procedure naturally reduces the grain size - up to 1.5-2 times. To preserve the characteristics of the variety, the seeds are placed in jute bags. After that, the beans are sent from the plantation to the appropriate processing factories.

Recycling- extraction of oil from seeds under a hydraulic press. The remaining cake is used to create a powder for a drink. To get 10 kg of cocoa powder, you need an annual crop of one tree.

We suggest that you read another article about an exotic treeby clicking on the link.