Information AboutCocoa |
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Cocoa is the dried and partially fermented fatty seed of the Cacao Tree from which Chocolate is made. "Cocoa" can often also refer to Cocoa Powder , the dry powder made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the Cocoa Butter from the dark, bitter cocoa solids; or it may refer to the combination of both Cocoa Powder and Cocoa Butter together {Link without Title} . A cocoa pod has a rough leathery rind about 3 cm thick (this varies with the origin and variety of pod). It is filled with sweet, mucilaginous Pulp called 'baba de cacao' in South America, enclosing 30 to 50 large Almond -like Seed s (beans) that are fairly soft and pinkish or purplish in color. Cocoa should not be confused with the Coca plant which is used to create Cocaine . HISTORY The cacao tree may have originated in the foothills of the Andes in the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America where today, examples of wild cacao still can be found. However, it may have had a larger range in the past, evidence for which may be obscured because of its cultivation in these areas long before, as well as after, the Spanish arrived. It may have been introduced into Central America by the ancient Maya s, and cultivated in Mexico by the Toltec s and later by the Aztec s. It was a common currency throughout MesoAmerica and the Caribbean before the Spanish conquests. Cacao trees will grow in a limited geographical zone, of approximately 20 degrees to the north and south of the Equator. Nearly 70% of the world crop is grown in West Africa. Cocoa was an important commodity in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica . Spanish chroniclers of the conquest of Mexico by Hernán Cortés relate that when Montezuma II , emperor of the Aztec s, dined he took no other beverage than Chocolate , served in a Gold en goblet and eaten with a golden spoon. Flavored with Vanilla and Spices , his chocolate was whipped into a froth that dissolved in the mouth. No fewer than 50 pitchers of it were prepared for the emperor each day, and 2000 more for Noble s of his court. Chocolate was introduced to Europe by the Spaniard s and became a popular beverage by the mid 1500s. They also introduced the cacao tree into the West Indies and the Philippines . The cacao plant was first given its botanical name by Swedish natural scientist Carolus Linnaeus in his original classification of the plant kingdom, who called it "Theobroma ("food of the gods") cacao". PRODUCTION World production
About 3,000,000 Tonne s of cocoa is grown each year. The global production was :: 1,556,484 t in 1974, :: 1,810,611 t in 1984, :: 2,672,173 t in 1994, :: 3,607,052 t in 2004 (record). This is an increase of 131.7% in 30 years. There are three main varieties of the Theobroma cacao: Forastero, Criollo, and Trinitario. The first comprises 95% of the world production of cacao, and is the most widely used. Overall, the highest quality of cacao comes from the Criollo variety and is considered a delicacy however, Criollo is harder to produce, hence very few countries produce it, with the majority of production coming from Venezuela (Chuao and Porcelana). The Trinitario is a mix between Criollo and Forastero[http://www.curiousnotions.com/sui-generis-2.html . The Netherlands is the leading cocoa processing country, followed by the U.S. . Cocoa and its products (including chocolate) are used world-wide. Belgium had the highest per-capita consumption at 5.5 kg in 1995/96, 10 times the world average Cocoa Beans Per Capita Consumption , www.fas.usda.gov, 1997. Harvesting When the pods ripen, they are harvested from the trunks and branches of the Cocoa tree with a curved Knife on a long Pole . The pod itself is green when ready to harvest, rather than red or orange. Normally, red or orange pods are considered of a lesser quality because their flavors and aromas are poorer; these are used for industrial chocolate. The pods are either opened on the field and the seeds extracted and carried to the Fermentation area on the plantation, or the whole pods are taken to the fermentation area. Processing The harvested pods are opened with a Machete , the pulp and cocoa seeds are removed and the rind is discarded. The pulp and seeds are then piled in heaps, placed in bins, or laid out on grates for several days. During this time, the seeds and pulp undergo "sweating", where the thick pulp liquifies as it ferments. The fermented pulp trickles away, leaving cocoa seeds behind to be collected. Sweating is important for the quality of the beans, which originally have a strong bitter taste. If sweating is interrupted, the resulting cocoa may be ruined; if underdone the cocoa seed maintains a flavor similar to raw Potato es and becomes susceptible to Mildew . The liquified pulp is used by some cocoa producing countries to distill Alcohol ic spirits. |
Image:Chuao 002JPGCacao Drying Square In Front Of Church,
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Chuao" class="copylinks">Chuao , Venezuela |
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