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Cocoa Bean Growth And Cultivation
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Published: September 11, 2006
For most people, their experience with chocolate consists of buying, unwrapping, and eating a chocolate bar. Little thought is given to where exactly chocolate comes from or even how it is grown. The chocolate used in candy, pastries, and beverages undergoes a very long and organized process that begins with the cocoa bean.
The cocoa bean is the main and essential ingredient used to make chocolate.
The cocoa bean is grown from the coca tree. This tree is a tropical plant and can only be cultivated within conditions specific to tropical regions. These regions are commonly referred to as the cocoa belt and are located no further than 20 degrees north or south of the equator. With temperatures ranging between 18-30 degrees Celsius, these tropical regions are humid and undergo constant precipitation. Popular areas in which cocoa beans are grown include Brazil, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, Indonesia, and West Africa.
The cultivation of the cocoa bean begins with cocoa seedlings. First planted in fiber baskets or plastic bags within nursery beds, after a few months, they're transferred to the actual plantation. Cocoa trees are very sensitive plants and need to be grown with care. Growing conditions require loose soil, protection from the wind, and just the right balance of sunlight and shade. Cocoa trees are deliberately grown alongside other types of tress such as banana, coconut, rubber, lemon, and tropical trees. These trees are referred to as mothering trees in that their sole purpose is to provide shade from the sun.
Cocoa trees can grow as high as 50ft, but most are kept within a range of 20ft. The trees first begin to bear fruit along their trunks after 2 years. The trees are able to bear 20-30 fruit about 3-4 times year. The fruit is oval in shape and is 6-10 inches in length and 3-4 inches in diameter. Cocoa fruit resembles a cucumber and changes from green to yellow to reddish brown in color. Inside the fruit consists of white pulp harboring 5 rows of 20 to 40 cocoa beans. The length of cocoa beans ranges from ½ to 1 ¼ inches in length and between ½ to ¾ inches in width. Cocoa beans are almond shape and are either flat or slightly rounded in shape.
Harvesting occurs twice a year in May and October/November. The cocoa fruit is ripe and ready to be picked 4 to 9 months after the fertilization of the cocoa blossom. Large knives fastened to poles are used to carefully cut off the fruit from the cocoa tree. The fruit is then opened with a knife and the seeds are scraped out. Next, the cocoa beans are either placed in heaps, laid in baskets, or covered with banana leaves or branches. They are then left between 2-6 days during which they undergo a number of changes in the fermentation process.
After fermentation, the cocoa beans must be dried either on the ground or on mats. The reason being is that the cocoa beans contain about 60% water, which needs to be removed. After about a week, a substantial amount of water is evaporated and the cocoa beans are ready to be shipped. They are packed in jute sacks, weighed, and usually transported to companies within the United States or Europe. These companies then use the cocoa beans in the production of chocolate.
The growth and cultivation of the cocoa bean is essential to the making of chocolate. Without cocoa beans there would be no chocolate. While a person is enjoying a cup of hot chocolate or a delicious candy bar in the northern United States, he or she can entertain themselves by reflecting about the origins of their chocolate treat. It is fitting that such sweet pleasures come from the hot, beautiful tropical regions of the world.
Cocoa Story: Cultivation, Trade, Transport . European Cocoa Association. 6 September 2006. .
From Bean to Chocolate. Chocologie. 6 September 2006. .
Growing the Cocoa Bean. World Cocoa Foundation. 2006. 6 September 2006. .
The cocoa bean is the main and essential ingredient used to make chocolate.
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The cultivation of the cocoa bean begins with cocoa seedlings. First planted in fiber baskets or plastic bags within nursery beds, after a few months, they're transferred to the actual plantation. Cocoa trees are very sensitive plants and need to be grown with care. Growing conditions require loose soil, protection from the wind, and just the right balance of sunlight and shade. Cocoa trees are deliberately grown alongside other types of tress such as banana, coconut, rubber, lemon, and tropical trees. These trees are referred to as mothering trees in that their sole purpose is to provide shade from the sun.
Cocoa trees can grow as high as 50ft, but most are kept within a range of 20ft. The trees first begin to bear fruit along their trunks after 2 years. The trees are able to bear 20-30 fruit about 3-4 times year. The fruit is oval in shape and is 6-10 inches in length and 3-4 inches in diameter. Cocoa fruit resembles a cucumber and changes from green to yellow to reddish brown in color. Inside the fruit consists of white pulp harboring 5 rows of 20 to 40 cocoa beans. The length of cocoa beans ranges from ½ to 1 ¼ inches in length and between ½ to ¾ inches in width. Cocoa beans are almond shape and are either flat or slightly rounded in shape.
Harvesting occurs twice a year in May and October/November. The cocoa fruit is ripe and ready to be picked 4 to 9 months after the fertilization of the cocoa blossom. Large knives fastened to poles are used to carefully cut off the fruit from the cocoa tree. The fruit is then opened with a knife and the seeds are scraped out. Next, the cocoa beans are either placed in heaps, laid in baskets, or covered with banana leaves or branches. They are then left between 2-6 days during which they undergo a number of changes in the fermentation process.
After fermentation, the cocoa beans must be dried either on the ground or on mats. The reason being is that the cocoa beans contain about 60% water, which needs to be removed. After about a week, a substantial amount of water is evaporated and the cocoa beans are ready to be shipped. They are packed in jute sacks, weighed, and usually transported to companies within the United States or Europe. These companies then use the cocoa beans in the production of chocolate.
The growth and cultivation of the cocoa bean is essential to the making of chocolate. Without cocoa beans there would be no chocolate. While a person is enjoying a cup of hot chocolate or a delicious candy bar in the northern United States, he or she can entertain themselves by reflecting about the origins of their chocolate treat. It is fitting that such sweet pleasures come from the hot, beautiful tropical regions of the world.
Cocoa Story: Cultivation, Trade, Transport . European Cocoa Association. 6 September 2006. .
From Bean to Chocolate. Chocologie. 6 September 2006. .
Growing the Cocoa Bean. World Cocoa Foundation. 2006. 6 September 2006. .
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