Cocoa bean (also
cacao bean, often simply
referred to as cacao) is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of
Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and cocoa butter are extracted. They are the basis of chocolate, as well as many Mesoamerican foods such as mole sauce and
tejate.
A cocoa pod (fruit) has a rough leathery rind about 3 cm thick (this varies with the origin and variety of pod). Yes, the cacao pod is a fruit. It consists of a thin layer of sweet, fruity flesh surrounding the cacao bean, sort of in the way a lychee fruit has a layer of delicious white fruit flesh surrounding its central seed. Cacao fruit tastes a little bit like fresh lychee fruit, in fact, with a hint of chocolate flavor in it.
The fruit is a sweet, mucilaginous pulp (called 'baba de cacao' in South America) enclosing 30 to 50 large seeds that are fairly soft and pale pink or lavender in color. Seeds usually are white,
becoming violet or reddish brown during the drying process. The exception is rare varieties of white cacao, in which the seeds remain white. Historically, white cacao was cultivated by the Rama people of Nicaragua.
Isn't chocolate a interesting subject? There are so many aspects of it that very few people know about.
Till next time... Donna
To the left is the fruit within the cacoa shell. It is such a remarkable plant. The pods, above right, are ripe cacoa. And, the first picture shows the "fruit of the Gods," as it was originally referred to, growing on the tree. Did you ever imagine chocolate starting out in this way? Awesome, isn't it!
Have a great day... Eat some pure, unadulterated, rich, 60% plus chocolate today, and enjoy!
Isn't chocolate a interesting subject? There are so many aspects of it that very few people know about.
