where does cocoa come from

Nearly 70% of the world crop today is grown in West Africa. [37] In late 2000, a BBC documentary reported the use of enslaved children in the production of cocoa in West Africa. Many different insects cause vegetative and crop damage to cocoa, especially mealybugs, true bugs (heteropterans), thrips, and scale insects. Roasting can also be done on the whole bean or nib, affecting the final flavor. [29][32], The harvested pods are opened, typically with a machete, to expose the beans. While certifications can lead to increased farm income, the premium price paid for certified cocoa by consumers is not always reflected proportionally in the income for farmers. Theobroma cacao - Wikipedia The Trinitario variety is a hybrid of the Forastero and Criollo. The word chocolate may conjure up images of sweet candy bars and luscious truffles, but the confections of today bears little resemblance to the chocolate of the past: Throughout much of its history, chocolate was a bitter beverage, not a sweet, rich-tasting treat. Cocoa (Theobroma Cocoa) was probably introduced by the Dutch in the 1700s. But it wasnt until several years later that he worked with his friend Henri Nestltogether they created the Nestl Company and brought milk chocolate to the mass market. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Modern-day chocolate production comes at a cost. Cocoa butter: Benefits, uses, and side effects - Medical News Today This process produces around 50% cocoa butter and 50% cocoa powder. The Yucatan Mayan word 'chocol' means 'hot.'. Van Houten supposedly also invented the cocoa press, although some reports state his father invented the machine. Evidence also indicates that, long before the flavor of the cacao seed (or bean) became popular, the sweet pulp of the chocolate fruit, used in making a fermented (5.34% alcohol) beverage, first drew attention to the plant in the Americas. Home Entertainment & Pop Culture Food cocoa bean fruit Also known as: cacao bean Written by L. Russell Cook President, Chocolate and Confectionery Division, W.R. Grace & Company, New York City, 1965-73. Sources:Fair Trade USAWorld Cocoa FoundationMake Chocolate FairWorld Population Review. Before they dive. However, even with the protection of their small isolated farms, cacao growers frequently experience losses ranging from 30 to 100 percent of their crops, usually to disease. The flavor of Criollo is described as delicate yet complex, low in classic chocolate flavor, but rich in "secondary" notes of long duration. History of Cacao: Where does Chocolate Come From And How Is It Made? For these reasons, cocoa is produced predominantly in the hot and humid regions of Africa, but also in Asia, Central and South America and Australia. It is the primary source of cocoa beans, the key ingredient in chocolate production. [80], Climate change, coupled with pests, poor soil health, and the demand for sustainable cocoa, has led to a rapid decline in cocoa productivity, resulting in reduced income for smallholder cocoa farmers. World Cocoa Foundation. Coca, which is mainly grown in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, is a highly addictive drug that is processed in jungle laboratories where the coca is extracted from the leaves to produce cocaine. President, Chocolate and Confectionery Division, W.R. Grace & Company, New York City, 196573. Where does cocoa come from? Christopher Columbus took cocoa beans to Spain after his fourth voyage in 1502, and the Spanish conquistadores, arriving in Mexico in 1519, were introduced to a chocolate beverage by the Aztec. Where Does Chocolate Come From? - YouTube [12] Pesticides are often applied to the trees to combat capsid bugs, and fungicides to fight black pod disease. Because of the hazards of disease and pests, most of the worlds cacao is grown on small labour-intensive farms of less than two hectares (five acres) instead of large plantations through which these hazards can rapidly spread. The cocoa press separated cocoa butter from roasted cocoa beans to inexpensively and easily make cocoa powder, which was used to create a wide variety of delicious chocolate products. They made their own varieties of hot chocolate with cane sugar, cinnamon and other common spices and flavorings. Cocoa Production | Where is cocoa grown around the world? [89] Although cocoa has been adapted to grow under a dense rainforest canopy, agroforestry does not significantly further enhance cocoa productivity. Chocolate is available to drink, but is more often enjoyed as an edible confection or in desserts and baked goods. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Animals and Plants - Cacao, University of Florida IFAS Extension - Cacao, Academia - Theobroma cacao L., the Food of the Gods: A scientific approach beyond myths and claims, Agribusiness giant Cargill not doing enough to fight deforestation, protect human rights, group says. A coalition of activist groups and researchers has released a report it hopes will increase pressure on agribusiness giant Cargill to do more to fight deforestation and human rights abuse. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The futures price of cocoa butter and cocoa powder is determined by multiplying the bean price by a ratio. In 2010, the US Department of Labor formed the Child Labor Cocoa Coordinating Group as a public-private partnership with the governments of Ghana and Cte d'Ivoire to address child labor practices in the cocoa industry. READ MORE: Chocolates Sweet History: From Elite Treat to Food for the Masses. From the . While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The term "cocoa bean" is interchangeable with "cacao bean." Its range may have been larger in the past; evidence of its wild range may be obscured by cultivation of the tree in these areas since long before the Spanish arrived. The Science of Chocolate - Where Does Chocolate Come From? Chemistry Harvesting takes place biannually and involves cutting the pods from the cacao trees using knives. In 1879, another Swiss chocolatier, Rudolf Lindt, invented the chocolate conch machine which mixed and aerated chocolate, giving it a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth consistency that blended well with other ingredients. The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), with support from its members, donated a variety of chocolate Read More. Cacao trees are grown in hot, tropical regions approximately 10 degrees above and below the . Cocoa Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster A Cultural History of the Medicinal and Ritual Use of Chocolate", "Criollo Chocolate: Efficient Food of the Gods", "Sensational Chocolates: Discover the Intense Robust flavor of 100% 'Grand Cru' Chocolate", "Fine chocolates now appreciated by connoisseurs as a luxury product", "Yeasts key for cacao bean fermentation and chocolate quality", "FAQ: Products that can be made from cocoa", "Cocoa Life A story on Farming Cocoa Growing", "Mexican Chocolate: Rustic, Stronger, Better", "Slaves feed world's taste for chocolate: Captives common in cocoa farms of Africa", "Combating Child Labour in Cocoa Growing", "Ivory Coast accuses chocolate companies", "Fourth Annual Report: Oversight of Public and Private Initiatives to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor in the Cocoa Sector of Cte d'Ivoire and Ghana", "Protocol for the growing and processing of cocoa beans and their derivative products in a manner that complies with ILO Convention 182 concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labor", "Oversight of Public and Private Initiatives to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor in the Cocoa Sector of Cte d'Ivoire and Ghana", "Final Report 2013/14 Survey Research on Child Labor in West African Cocoa Growing Areas Tulane University Louisiana", "Falling cocoa prices threaten child labor spike in Ghana, Ivory Coast", "Inside Big Chocolate's Child Labor Problem", "Child Labour: the true cost of chocolate production", "Mars, Nestl and Hershey to face child slavery lawsuit in US", "Cocoa bean production in 2020, Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity (pick lists)", "Historical Cocoa Intraday Futures Data (CCA)", "Partnerships to make cocoa production more sustainable", "Downloads | Fair Trade & Organic Cocoa | Related Documents", "The COSA Measuring Sustainability Report COSA", "Gourmet Gardens: Congolese Fair Trade and Organic Cocoa", "CONACADO: National confederation of cocoa producers", "Ferrero to double Fairtrade cocoa purchases", "The News on Chocolate is Bittersweet: No Progress on Child Labor, but Fair Trade Chocolate is on the Rise". cocoa, highly concentrated powder made from chocolate liquora paste prepared from cocoa beans, the fruit of the cacaoand used in beverages and as a flavouring ingredient. Its earliest presence in 1778, found in the garden of a . Protection against strong winds is necessary because of the trees shallow root system. [10] Chemical analysis of residue extracted from pottery excavated at an archaeological site at Puerto Escondido, in Honduras, indicates that cocoa products were first consumed there sometime between 1500 and 1400 BC. Chocolatethen still exclusively in the form of a drinkappeared in France, and then England, in royal courts and special chocolate houses that served the social elite. A memorandum between these three initiatives was signed in 2020 to measure and address issues including child labor, living income, deforestation and supply chain transparency. Throughout its centuries-long evolution, one factor has remained consistent and cocoa has attracted devotees worldwide. Where Does Chocolate Come From? - Bar & Cocoa The average cacao tree produces 30-40 cacao pods a year. Cocoa beans of the Criollo variety are rarer and considered a delicacy. Its flowers are either foul-smelling or odourless; they can be present at all times but appear in abundance twice a year. Cocoa beans, cocoa butter and cocoa powder are traded on futures markets. The proliferation of flavoured, solid, and coated chocolate foods rapidly followed. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Access to credit is important for cocoa farmers, as it allows them to implement sustainable practices, such as agroforestry, and provide a financial buffer in case disasters like pest or weather patterns decrease crop yield. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Cacao beans (also referred to as cocoa beans) are harvested from the fruit of a tree called Theobroma cacao, which is native to the tropical regions of modern-day South America. In cultivating cacao, plants are first grown from seeds or cuttings and then transplanted. Corrections? Soon, chocolate mania spread throughout Europe. Smithsonian.com.Bittersweet: chocolate's impact on the environment. [54], In 2021, several companies were named in a class action lawsuit filed by eight former children from Mali who alleged that the companies aided and abetted their enslavement on cocoa plantations in Ivory Coast. Due to heat buildup in the fermentation process, cacao beans lose most of the purplish hue and become mostly brown in color, with an adhered skin which includes the dried remains of the fruity pulp. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 1. Interested in discovering more? The third step is fermentation of the beans. Cocoa beans, or cacao beans, come from the Theobroma cacao tree. If the combined ratio falls below 3.2 or so, production ceases to be economically viable and some factories cease extraction of butter and powder and trade exclusively in cocoa liquor. 1, 2, 4 The vast majority of cocaine production occurs in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, as those countries are the main places where the coca plant can be grown naturally and in sufficient . The beans also contain theobromine and a small amount of caffeine. Research of their shade-grown coffee counterparts has shown that greater canopy cover in plots is significantly associated with greater mammal species diversity. According to Hayes Lavis, cultural arts curator for the Smithsonians National Museum of the American Indian, ancient Olmec pots and vessels from around 1500 B.C. Cte dIvorie Nigeria Ecuador Colombia Mexico India Guatemala Liberia Nicaragua Republic of Congo Vanuatu Grenada Costa Rica Guyana Trinidad and Tobago Belize Gabon Saint Lucia Fiji, Ghana Cameroon Peru Papua New Guinea Venezuela Sierra Leone Madagascar Tanzania Bolivia Democratic Republic of Congo Sri Lanka Honduras Samoa Equatorial Guinea Dominica Cuba Central African Republic Comoros Suriname, Indonesia Brazil Dominican Republic Uganda Togo Haiti Guinea Philippines Solomon Islands Sao Tome and Principe Malaysia Panama Angola El Salvador Jamaica Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Thailand Micronesia American Samoa. [58] Safe long-term storage facilitates the trading of cocoa products at commodity exchanges. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Where Chocolate Comes From - Purdue University To produce 1 kg/2.2 pounds of chocolate, around 300 to 600 cocoa beans are processed. Cacao thrives at altitudes of 30 to 300 metres (100 to 1,000 feet) above sea level in areas where temperatures do not range much below 20 C (68 F) or above 28 C (82 F). Many varieties of cacao exist, and they can be grouped into three general divisions: forastero, criollo, and trinitario. 1 Answer ANSWER Cocoa comes from the bean of the cacao plant, which grows in South America. Fair trade cocoa producer groups are established in Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, the Congo,[66] Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic,[67] Ecuador, Ghana, Haiti, India, Ivory Coast, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Sierra Leone, and So Tom and Prncipe. After this step all the different components are sold across industries to many manufacturers of different types of products. Smithsonian.com.Child Labor and Slavery in the Chocolate Industry. As other European countries such as Italy and France visited parts of Central America, they also learned about cacao and brought chocolate back to their respective countries. After returning to Spain, cacao beans in tow, he supposedly kept his chocolate knowledge a well-guarded secret. https://www.britannica.com/topic/cocoa-food, Agribusiness giant Cargill not doing enough to fight deforestation, protect human rights, group says. They are significantly hardier and of higher yield than Criollo. Where does cocoa come from? - Dmcoffee.blog Cocoa is the world's smallest soft commodity market. Related Topics & Policies Child Labor Monitoring & Remediation System Cocoa Sourcing Human Rights Cocoa For Good The Aztec beverage was made from sun-dried shelled beans, probably fermented in their pods. Cocoa beans are the primary ingredient in chocolate making, but have you ever wondered where these beans actually come from? [24] Pure genotypes of the bean are rare because most Nacional varieties have been interbred with other cocoa bean varieties. The Latin name for the cacao tree, Theobroma cacao, means "food of the gods". Cocoa beans typically grow within 20 degrees of the equator. Some common diseases such as cherelle (young pod) wilt, cushion galls, and dieback are not thoroughly understood and may result from a combination of physiological, viral, nutritional, and fungal conditions. To make 1kg (2.2lb) of chocolate, about 300 to 600 beans are processed, depending on the desired cocoa content. Updated: August 10, 2022 | Original: December 14, 2017. In Ecuador, cocoa grows in the coastal region, in the area within the "cocoa belt" at 20 degrees from the equator, in the provinces of Los Rios, Guayas, Manabi and Sucumbios, where two types of cocoa are produced: Cacao CCN-51 and Cacao Nacional also known as "Arriba". The tree was likely domesticated in the upper Amazon region and then spread northward. Where are cocoa beans grown? - EatingWiki International Cocoa Association.History of Chocolate: Chocolate in the Colonies. Shipment in bags, either in a ship's hold or in containers, is still common. [81] Severe droughts have led to soil fertility decline, causing a decrease in yields, and resulting in some farmers abandoning cocoa production. Both Dutch processing and the chocolate press helped make chocolate affordable for everyone. Average year after year demand growth has been just over 3% since 2008. [75] However, deforestation due to cocoa production is still a major concern in parts of West Africa. Researchers have found evidence of cocoa-based food dating back several thousand years. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Alternatively, cocoa powder and cocoa butter can be separated using a hydraulic press or the Broma process. After that point, chocolate became wildly popular amongst the Spanish, who kept the production method a secret from other Europeans for almost 100 years after their discovery. However, since they kept no written history, opinions differ on if they used cacao beans in their concoctions or just the pulp of the cacao pod. How Is Cocaine Made | Where Does Cocaine Come From? - Recovery.org Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Where does cocoa come from? - CC Food Travel History of Chocolate: Where does chocolate come from? The Mayan written history mentions chocolate drinks being used in celebrations and to finalize important transactions and ceremonies. [90] However, while growing cocoa in full sun without incorporating shade plants can temporarily increase cocoa yields, it will eventually decrease the quality of the soil due to nutrient loss, desertification and erosion, leading to unsustainable yields and dependency on inorganic fertilizers. [60] Similar partnerships between cocoa producing and consuming countries are being developed, such as the cooperation between the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) and the Ghanaian Cocoa Authority, who aim to increase the proportion of sustainable cocoa being imported from Ghana to Switzerland to 80% by 2025. Our conventional (non-organic) chocolate is a blend of fair trade cocoa grown in West Africa. [13] A Spanish soldier who was on Hernan Corts' side during the conquest of the Aztec Empire tells that when Moctezuma II, emperor of the Aztecs, dined, he took no other beverage than chocolate, served in a golden goblet. During the Revolutionary War, chocolate was provided to the military as rations and sometimes given to soldiers as payment instead of money. [76], Over time, cocoa agroforestry systems become more similar to forest, although they never fully recover the original forest community within the life cycle of a productive cocoa plantation (approximately 25 years). & Where does Cocoa come from? Although Spain guarded the secret of its xocoatl beverage for almost 100 years, it reached Italy in 1606 and became popular in France with the marriage of the Spanish princess Maria Theresa to Louis XIV in 1660. This blend has hundreds of compounds, each in different ratios depending upon the cacao's origin, varietal, and processing. cocoa, highly concentrated powder made from chocolate liquora paste prepared from cocoa beans, the fruit of the cacaoand used in beverages and as a flavouring ingredient. Additional cocoa protection techniques for shipping and storage include the application of pyrenoids as well as hermetic storage in sealed bags or containers with lowered oxygen concentrations. That makes imitation chocolate flavor difficult to perfect, explaining why . [91], In West Africa, where about 70% of global cocoa supply originates from smallholder farmers, recent publicprivate initiatives such as the Cocoa Forest Initiatives in Ghana and Cte d'Ivoire (World Cocoa Foundation, 2017) and the Green Cocoa Landscape Programme in Cameroon (IDH, 2019) aim to support the sustainable intensification and climate resilience of cocoa production, the prevention of further deforestation and the restoration of degraded forests. How is Chocolate Made? Cacao was consumed by pre-Hispanic cultures in spiritual ceremonies and its beans were a common currency in Mesoamerica. Its thought the Olmecs used cacao to create a ceremonial drink. All Rights Reserved, The Cocoa Supply Chain: From Farmer to Consumer, make the cocoa supply chain more sustainable, Cacao sostenible: una alternativa para la Amazona Colombiana, Sustainable Cocoa: An Alternative for the Colombian Amazon. And there, you really need leadership. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Author of. We're committed to providing a variety of choices to meet lifestyle needs across our beloved brands and being transparent about the ingredients inside your favorite . T. cacao is widely distributed from southeastern Mexico to the Amazon basin. One of the largest processing country by volume is the Netherlands, handling around 13% of global grindings. The Theobroma cacao tree is a fruit tree, whose name means "food of the gods". Cocoa History - Rodelle Kitchen Hawaii is the only state that can sustain commercial cacao production. Commercial cocoa bean crop yields may vary from under 100 to over 3,000 kg per hectare (110 to 2,700 pounds per acre), with the world average being between 340 and 450 kg per hectare (300 and 400 pounds per acre). Alexa, Where does cocoa come from? | Alexa Answers 1 (800) 465-5909 At least 29% of global cocoa production was compliant with voluntary sustainability standards in 2016. Today, cacao is grown by 40-50 million cocoa farmers in more than 50 countries around the world. Growing cocoa trees. World Cocoa Foundation. The countries at the bottom (listed in green) produce less than a thousand metric tons of cocoa a year. Where Does Chocolate Come From? - WorldAtlas Floral buds are removed from the trees until they are five years old. A BRIEF HISTORY OF CACAO. (Chocolate was also provided as rations to soldiers during World War II.). Cocoa pods weigh an average of 400g (14oz) and each one yields 35 to 40g (1.2 to 1.4oz) dried beans; this yield is 910% of the total weight in the pod. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.The Bittersweet History of Chocolate. jbrehe71 {{ relativeTimeResolver(1656728108728) }} LIVE . It was first domesticated 5,300 years ago, in equatorial South America, before being introduced in Central America by the Olmecs (Mexico). Cacao trees are relatively short, only growing to be about 15-25 feet tall. [84], Cocoa beans may be cultivated under shade, as done in agroforestry. World Wildlife Federation. [77] Agroforests act as buffers to formally protected forests and biodiversity island refuges in an open, human-dominated landscape. While governments and NGOs have made efforts to help cocoa farmers in Ghana and Cte d'Ivoire sustainably improve crop yields, many of the educational and financial resources provided are more readily available to male farmers versus female farmers. 90% of the worlds cocoa is grown on small family farms, while only 5% is grown on larger commercial plantations. Where does Chocolate come from? - magnumv2 Its seeds, called cocoa beans, are processed into cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and chocolate. The cakes were broken up, mixed with hot water, and beaten to foamy consistency with a small wooden beater, a molinet, producing the beverage called xocoatl (from Nahuatl words meaning bitter water). Cocoa production in a nutshell | Make Chocolate Fair!

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