COCOA FACTS
- The fruit of the Cocoa tree grow directly from the trunk. They look like small melons, and the delicious, sweet white pulp inside contains 20 to 50 beans.
- It takes 3-5 years for a cocoa tree to produce its first seed pods.
- The cocoa pod (right) is made up of the pulp, or massa di frutto and the shell. The beans inside are called "cacao beans" and are the source of all chocolate products. For more information on chocolate production, see this wikipedia section or click the image to the right.
- The cocoa pod is harvested by cutting it from the tree using a machete, and then split open to remove the beans which are fermented in order for them to dry out under sunlight. The pods can also be dried inside by laying them on racks made from bamboo or wood slats
- A cacao tree can produce about 50 kg (110 lbs) of pods per year. Each pod contains around 30-50 beans.
- Cocoa trees prefer a lot of heat and humidity to grow properly
- Chocolate has properties that combat Heart disease; thanks to flavanoids from the cocoa plant.
- The ancient tribes, of the Maya Indians, were the first to discover the wonderful enchanting properties of the cocoa bean around the year 600 AD.
- Christopher Columbus, in 1502, was thought to have brought cocoa beans to King Ferdinand, during his fourth trip from the New World.
- Cocoa was exported to Europe in 1585 but the first chocolate bar was not made until 1848. Up until them, chocolate was consumed as a beverage.
- Throughout the world the annual cocoa production is 3 million tons
- An ounce of semi-sweet dark chocolate has only 20 milligrams of caffeine on average, about the same amount as three ounces of brewed regular tea.
- December 13th is National Cocoa Day!
Cocoa facts taken from 12 Fun Facts About Cocoa Trees