Everyone loves chocolate, and everyone knows that it is made from cocoa beans that grow on an evergreen chocolate tree.

Where do beans grow?

Cocoa beans grow in subequatorial countries with a warm and highly humid climate. Most of these are South American countries.

The centers of production for a long time were Ecuador and Venezuela. As popularity grew in European countries, plantations of chocolate trees began to increase. So the cultivation of cocoa beans began in Indonesia and throughout the continent of Africa.

Today, Africa accounts for 69% of the world's cocoa bean crop. Second place for d'Ivoire - 30%

The largest producers of cocoa beans are such countries as:

• Indonesia;
• ganna;
• Brazil;
• Ecuador;
• Cameroon;
• Nigeria;
• Malaysia;
• Colombia.

Conditions for growing and harvesting cocoa

The chocolate tree is quite capricious about weather conditions. He needs a temperature not higher than plus twenty-eight and not lower than plus twenty-one degrees. High humidity and exposure to sunlight have a bad effect on it. The chocolate tree bears fruit all year round. Two crops are harvested a year - before the arrival of the rainy season and at its end.

Harvesting cocoa is a laborious and exhausting process. It is made by hand with the help of a machete and special knives fixed on poles. The fruits are not attached to the branches, but to the trunk of the chocolate tree. They are berry-shaped in shape, with longitudinal grooves, with ridges between them. The fruits are cut and the seeds are taken out. They are dried on special pallets from two to nine days.

The technology of cultivation and production of cocoa beans in each country takes place in its own way. Africa is dominated by small businesses, while America is dominated by the largest plantations.

Taste, aroma and color depend on the place of growth, harvesting characteristics, and bean processing technology. Cocoa varieties are named according to their country of origin. For example: "Cameroon", "Ganna", "Brazil", etc. Cocoa production is increasing every year. Consider the statistics of this growth.

Production of cocoa beans in the world

In order to expand the palette of taste and aroma in the production of recent years, blends are used that combine the most noble, expensive varieties and more affordable ones. Cocoa is not only tasty, but also a healthy product, loved by both children and adults.

Cocoa beans are grains that fill the fruits of the chocolate (cocoa) tree. They have a bright aroma and natural taste of bitterness, and they are used both raw and processed in a variety of industries (culinary, cosmetology, pharmacology, perfumery).

The cocoa tree belongs to an evergreen species of the Theombroma genus from the Malvaceae family, whose life expectancy is more than a hundred years.

• It is quite powerful and can reach a height of up to 15 m.
• The crown of the tree is very spreading, with a large amount of large-sized foliage.
• Cocoa flowers are located on the bark of strong branches and trunk. They are small in size with an unpleasant odor that attracts dung flies and butterflies. After pollination by these insects, cocoa fruits are formed.
• The fruits are red, yellow or orange in shape and appearance reminiscent of a lemon, but much larger in size and with deep grooves on the surface. The inside of the fruit consists of pulp, in the branches of which there are seeds - cocoa beans, up to 12 pcs. in everyone.

Cocoa beans began to be used due to the taste and aroma. They gained wider popularity after studying their chemical composition. The amount of vitamins, micro- and macroelements in beans in total reaches 300 items, which gives them a large list of useful properties.

The composition of chocolate tree seeds includes:

• vitamins - PP, B1, B2, provitamin A;
• alkaloids - theobromine and caffeine;
• micro and macro elements - magnesium, potassium, chlorine, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, sulfur, and also iron, zinc, cobalt, copper, molybdenum and manganese;
• antioxidants, organic acids, carbohydrates and proteins, tannins, aromatic and coloring substances, oils.

High calorie content (565 kcal) is due to the presence of fat in the composition of cocoa beans, which is 50%.

Despite this, nutritionists include cocoa beans in the diet of people suffering from obesity. This is due to the presence in the composition of the grains of certain substances that contribute to the breakdown of fats, improve metabolism and digestion.

Where do cocoa beans grow?

To grow a chocolate tree, you need a climate with a temperature of at least 20 degrees and high humidity. Therefore, the tropical humid conditions of South America, Africa and Indonesia are most suitable. The main producers and suppliers of cocoa beans are Nigeria, Colombia, Indonesia, Brazil, Ghana. There are also cocoa plantations in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Bali and wherever climatic conditions allow.

Beneficial features

The unique composition of cocoa beans gives them a lot of useful properties for the human body.

• Brown grains are very strong natural antidepressants. They have a calming effect on the nervous system, improve mood and reduce pain. Serotonin in beans has a beneficial effect on performance and improves mental activity.
• The use of raw cocoa beans strengthens and restores the cardiovascular system, helps normalize blood pressure in hypertensive patients, eliminates vasospasm, and improves blood circulation. All these positive effects in general help to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
• Cocoa beans are able to normalize hormonal balance, cleanse the body of toxins and free radicals, improve vision and rejuvenate the body. They are also advised to be used by people during the rehabilitation period after operations and serious illnesses for a speedy recovery.
• The substances contained in grains strengthen and stimulate the immune system, which helps the body fight viruses and infections, and also speeds up the healing process of wounds and burns.
• The constant use of cocoa beans leads to weight loss by improving metabolic processes in the body, stimulating the endocrine system and normalizing fat balance.

Applications

Cocoa beans and their products are very popular in the food industry. They are used in the production of chocolate, beverages and confectionery.

Cocoa butter, due to its beneficial properties, began to be used in the manufacture of cosmetic products and in pharmacology. In the alcohol industry, the pulp of the fruits of the chocolate tree has been used.

The popularity of this healthy and tasty product is gaining momentum and expanding its scope.

Cocoa bean oil: benefits and harms

The fat that is obtained during the processing of cocoa beans is called cocoa butter. It retains many of the beneficial properties of the beans themselves, but in limited quantities.

Cocoa bean oil mainly consists of fatty acids, the use of which in cosmetology promotes the regeneration and rejuvenation of facial skin, smoothes wrinkles and relieves stretch marks.

It also perfectly moisturizes and softens the skin of the lips, and in addition, it is suitable for almost all skin types without causing allergic reactions.

The enveloping properties of the plant product help with brittle hair and “stick together” split ends.

In medicine, the tool is used:

• to maintain normal blood cholesterol levels;
• for healing wounds and burns;
• in the treatment of cough, bronchitis, tuberculosis;
• in the treatment of acute respiratory infections.

Cocoa butter makes the walls of blood vessels and other tissues more elastic and strengthens them, which helps in the treatment of varicose veins, atherosclerosis, stomach ulcers and cancer, and also reduces the likelihood of a heart attack.

Researchers have confirmed that regular use of the oil for 5 to 10 years reduces the risk of cancer cells in the body.

Like any other natural and natural product, cocoa butter should be used in moderation and monitor the body's reaction to it, since the harm from the excessive use of such a remedy is significant.

It may cause:

• allergic reactions;
• rash on sensitive and oily skin;
• insomnia;
• overexcitation.

Important! Overweight people should avoid food products with cocoa butter, even in small doses, because its calorie content is very high.

How to use

Cocoa beans can be consumed in many ways:

• raw, dipped in honey or jam, since a rich taste of bitterness prevails in a pure product;
• peeled seeds are mixed with crushed nuts and honey (jam);
• dried beans are ground into powder, poured with boiling water and consumed as a hot drink.

How to use and how much depends on how you feel after a single dose. But even if the body does not produce a negative reaction, you should not overdo it and consume more than 50 g of beans per day.

By the way, the peel remaining after cleaning the grains is crushed and used as a scrub for the face and body.

Recipes with cocoa beans

Many dishes with cocoa beans have a pronounced taste and aroma, and most importantly, they are very healthy.

1. Homemade chocolate. Grind 150 g of cocoa beans, add 100 g of cocoa butter and 250 g of sugar. Mix everything and bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour into molds, let cool and refrigerate for an hour.
2. Chocolate cocktail. Milk, one banana and 1 - 2 tablespoons of cocoa beans, ground into powder, mix in a blender until smooth.
3. Chocolate candies. Place chopped nuts and dried fruits in molds. Add vanilla, cinnamon and honey to homemade chocolate prepared according to the first recipe. Melt the resulting composition and fill it with prepared molds. Let cool.

Important! Grated cocoa is added to yoghurts, desserts, ice cream and muesli, and is also used as a flavoring or to decorate various dishes.

Who are contraindicated

Despite the beneficial properties of cocoa beans, they are absolutely contraindicated in the case of:

• diabetes mellitus, as they provoke an increase in blood sugar levels;
• intestinal disorders, since the acceleration of metabolic processes leads to a laxative effect;
• planning surgery due to the likelihood of heavy bleeding at the time of surgery, caused by improved blood circulation and hematopoiesis;
• susceptibility to allergies and intolerance to the product;
• frequent migraines, since the beans can cause vasospasm;
• pregnancy, because the substances contained in the grains tone the muscles, which can provoke a miscarriage.

It is important for everyone, without exception, to monitor the amount of cocoa beans eaten, since their excessive use can be deplorable even for an absolutely healthy person.

Do not forget that you should buy cocoa beans and products from them from trusted suppliers who can guarantee their quality and naturalness. Following all the recommendations, you can safely use the delicious and healthy seeds of the chocolate tree to improve the health, beauty and taste of homemade dishes.

The land of Central and South America is recognized as the birthplace of the chocolate tree. Now wild-growing cocoa (chocolate tree), belonging to the Sterkuliev family, is almost never found. The plant has become domesticated since the development of South American lands by the Spaniards. It is cultivated on plantations.

Theobroma is an ancient Greek meaning "food of the gods". It truly lives up to its name. Delicacies derived from cocoa beans have a divine taste. Chocolate, be it a hot drink, hard bar, candy, paste or cream, is a constant delight in every person.

cocoa growing area

In the regions where the chocolate tree grows, special natural and climatic conditions prevail. It is mainly cultivated in the tropics, stretching across America, Africa and Oceania. African states are the main suppliers of cocoa beans. They supply up to 70% of this product to the world market.

Ghana is recognized as the largest supplier. In the capital of this country - Accra - the largest African market has been built, where cocoa beans are sold. The harvest of chocolate beans in (Côte d'Ivoire) reaches 30% of the total amount produced in the world. Indonesia is also considered a major market player.

A lot of fruits are harvested from chocolate trees in Bali, where the combination of mountain climate and fertile volcanic soils is ideal for growing cocoa. Cocoa seeds are brought from Nigeria, Brazil, Cameroon, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Malaysia and Colombia.

growing conditions for cocoa

It is difficult to find a tree more whimsical than cocoa. It requires special living conditions. An incredible sissy - a chocolate tree - can develop and bear fruit only in multi-tiered tropical forests. The plant settles in the lower tier of the forest. Where shade and dampness do not disappear, and the temperature regime is kept at levels from + 24 to + 28 0 С.

It loves places with fertile, loose soils covered with fallen leaves, where it rains incessantly and there are no winds. Such growing conditions can only be created by a canopy that forms in multi-tiered tropical rainforests.

For example, in the Amazon basin, with the onset of the rainy season, when the tributaries of the river, overflowing their banks, turn the lowlands into endless lakes a meter deep, each chocolate tree stands practically in water for many weeks. However, under such conditions, the plants do not rot, but, on the contrary, continue to develop.

Growing a chocolate tree on plantations

The capricious chocolate tree is demanding on the temperature regime. It is not at all capable of development if the temperature does not rise above 21 0 C. The optimal temperature for its growth is 40 0 ​​C. And at the same time, direct sunlight is harmful to it.

Therefore, in order to ensure the normal growth of trees, they are planted in mixed plantings. Cocoa thrives among avocados, bananas, mangoes, coconuts, and rubber trees. Whimsical trees, easily exposed to many diseases, need constant care and careful care. They are harvested by hand only.

Description of the chocolate tree

On average, the height of straight-stemmed evergreen trees is 6 meters. However, it costs nothing for some specimens to grow up to 9 and even 15 meters. The trunks of plants (up to 30 cm in girth with yellowish wood) are covered with brown bark and crowned with wide branched dense crowns.

Trees that can live in the shade of plantings flooded with rain have giant oblong-elliptical leaves. The size of thin, entire, alternate evergreen leaves, seated on short petioles, is comparable to the size of a newspaper page. They are about 40 cm long and about 15 cm wide.

Thanks to chocolate, it captures the crumbs of light that barely oozes through the lush greenery of plants endowed with greater height. The growth of giant foliage is not characterized by gradualness (leaves do not bloom one after another). It is characterized by undulating development. Either the leaves of the word freeze for several weeks and even months and do not grow at all, then suddenly an extraordinary surge in their development is observed - several pieces bloom at the same time.

Fruiting is observed all year round. The first flowering and the formation of fruits is observed at the 5-6th year of the plant's life. The fruiting period lasts for 30-80 years. The chocolate tree bears fruit twice a year. Gives abundant harvests after 12 years of life.

The tufts, formed by small pinkish-white flowers, break right through the bark covering the trunks and large branches. Pollinate inflorescences that exude a disgusting smell, midges-lice. Brown and yellow fruits, similar in shape to a small elongated ribbed melon, hang from the trunks. Their surface is indented with ten grooves.

chocolate tree seeds

They need 4 months to mature. Due to such a long ripening, they are always humiliated with both flowers and fruits. In fruits 30 cm long, 5-20 cm in diameter and weighing 200-600 g, 30-50 cocoa beans are hidden. The beans are tightened with a dense leathery shell of yellow, red or orange tones. Each almond-shaped seed is 2-2.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide.

Longitudinal rows of beans are surrounded by juicy sweet pulp, which is revered as a delicacy by squirrels and monkeys. They suck out the watery pulp, throwing away what is valuable to humans - the beans used as raw materials for the production of cocoa and chocolate.

Collection of cocoa fruits

Since the chocolate tree is quite tall, not only machetes are used to harvest the fruits, but also knives attached to long poles. The removed fruits are cut into 2-4 shares. The beans, extracted from the pulp by hand, are laid out for drying on banana leaves, pallets or in closed boxes.

When seeds are dried in the sun, cocoa produces a bittersweet taste with tart notes, which is less valuable. Therefore, preference is given to closed drying of beans. The fermentation period takes from 2 to 9 days. During the drying process, the size of the seeds decreases.

Seed processing

Cocoa beans of brown-violet shades have an oily taste and a pleasant aroma. Seeds, sorted, peeled, roasted and freed from parchment shells, are crushed and sifted through a sieve, obtaining high-quality cocoa powder.

Parchment shells are used as fertilizer, and the powder is accepted for further processing by any tree, or rather, its raw materials obtained from seeds - an excellent basis for many delicacies.

From the fried crumbs, ground into a thick stretchy mass, bitter chocolate is obtained by cooling. Enriching the resulting mixture with sugar, vanilla, milk powder and other additives, various chocolates are obtained.

Cocoa butter is obtained from roasted fruits subjected to pressing. The crumb left after pressing is ground into cocoa powder. Thus, the chocolate tree gives humanity two valuable products. The confectionery uses both powder and oil to produce all sorts of chocolate treats. Oil, moreover, is widely used in the production of perfumes, cosmetics and pharmacological agents.

The benefits of cocoa

Cocoa is not just a tasty treat, it has healing properties. Its composition is based on proteins, fiber, gum, alkaloids, theobromine, fat, starch and coloring matter. Thanks to theobromine, which has a tonic effect, cocoa has been used in medicine. With its help, successfully suppress diseases of the throat and lungs.

Delicacy and pharmacological preparations from cocoa restore strength and soothe. They normalize cardiac activity. They are used in the prevention of myocardial infarction, stroke and cancer. Cocoa butter cure hemorrhoids.

Have you ever held a real cocoa fruit in your hands? Alas, the chocolate tree does not grow in our area, and if it does, it does not spoil the harvest. Most sweet tooth even have no idea what that mysterious fruit looks like.

The Spaniards called it "cob", the French - "head", the ancient Mayans - "box of cocoa". Perhaps it is the size of a large coconut, but inside it, instead of milk, liquid chocolate ripens? Let's not make assumptions, but turn to botany. What is a chocolate fruit?

The Theobroma cacao tree produces crops, as a rule, twice a year, and in different months, depending on the location of the plantation, the country of cultivation. Fragrant flowers, from which a ribbed thick-skinned fruit will grow, were first noticeable on the trunk. There can be a lot of them, but only a few will eventually turn into "cobs". A tree 12-15 meters high will try to produce about 30 "cocoa fruit" per year. Outwardly, they look like sports balls for playing rugby, the weight of which, as a rule, does not exceed 450 grams. Surprisingly, cocoa fruits weigh almost the same!

The length of the "chocolate ball" is usually in the region of 20-35 centimeters. Ripe fruits give themselves out when they knock with a characteristic ringing. However, if in some specimens the skin is absolutely smooth, then in others it has a rough surface, scars and furrows are manifested. Some specimens resemble the fruit of a melon or an elongated citrus of enormous size.

Botanists have been wondering about the pigmentation of chocolate fruits for decades. During their lives, they can change their color several times: the green sides gradually turn yellow, and then begin to blush shyly. And yet, how is chocolate made from such a beautiful fruit? Let's use a sharp knife-blade machete to cut the ripe "cocoa fruit" lengthwise into two halves. Strange, but there was no smell of chocolate ...

In fact, we see a viscous fibrous mucus of a white or pinkish hue - pulp. Hidden within it are five seed columns, each containing about a dozen or more almond-shaped grains. By the way, their color is also changeable: it can be red, brownish or even purple. And if you are very lucky, a single cocoa fruit will share with you a crop of 40-60 cocoa beans. That's what we need!

But it is impossible to immediately separate the cocoa beans from the pulp, and it is impossible. As scientists explain, the pulp contains the necessary amount of sugar for the subsequent fermentation of cocoa beans. Extremely carefully, you need to pull out the layer of mucus along with the seeds and very quickly put it in the fermentation basket. During fermentation (about 4-7 days), cocoa beans separate from the pulp, slightly decrease in size, change color and lose their natural astringent bitter taste. Now they are waiting for drying, sorting and a long journey to the chocolate factories.

And in the future, already in production, cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder will be prepared from cocoa beans. You will soon be able to read about each of these ingredients on the Freshcacao Chocolate Blog!

The Aztecs called this famous product "chocolatl", that is, "bitter water". They drank this same water every day and, despite the bitter taste, it was considered a real treat and was very popular. Later, the Europeans, who settled in a large area of ​​Central America, contributed to its preparation. It is thanks to their resourcefulness that we today enjoy chocolate in all its forms.

And it's not a secret for a child that chocolate is made from the seeds of the cocoa tree- beans. To prepare just 1 kg of sweetness, you need about 500 of these small buttons. And now you should be surprised at how cheap this product is, given that in a year one tree can produce beans for only 5 kg of chocolate maximum. Add to this the fact that they are harvested only by hand. It turns out that it is worth buying more expensive products to be sure: there is still more cocoa in the tile, and not other impurities.

chocolate trees

The height of one tree reaches about 15 m, but there are smaller specimens. The plant does not like direct sunlight, so plantations are usually mixed with mango and banana trees, rubber, coconut and avocado.

If you think that it is enough to plant a tree and then collect the fruits, then this is not so: the plant is so capricious that it requires very careful care. For example, the first flowers appear only 6 years after planting, but then bear fruit from 40 to 80 years.

Pinkish-white flowers grow in bunches not only on the branches, but also from the bark of the trunk. It takes up to 4 months for the fruits to ripen, they resemble a large cucumber or a slightly elongated melon and weigh up to 600 g (30–50 beans). For the whole year, one tree can be harvested twice. But nature makes only the first one of the highest quality.

How the crop is harvested

In the modern world, where machines have almost completely replaced humans in production, there are industries where technology is not allowed to enter. All ripe fruits of the chocolate tree are cut with a machete. They are divided into parts, and the seeds are taken out only manually.

Special wooden boxes are lined with banana leaves and fruits are dried in them for up to 10 days. Why don't they do it in the sun? Then the taste will not only be bitter, but also very tart, and it is not so appreciated. At the end of the term, the seeds turn brown-purple and smell delicious.

After that, all the seeds are sorted and roasted, the shell is removed from them, crushed and ground until a thick, stretchy mass is obtained. It is she who becomes bitter chocolate. And then sugar and milk powder, vanilla and a variety of flavors come into play, creating the chocolate that we buy so often and.

About the benefits of cocoa beans

They are called the source of the most useful components. The composition contains approximately 300 substances that create lipid, protein and mineral compositions. These products are very useful for a number of reasons.

1. Improves the functioning of the heart muscle, as well as the condition of blood vessels.
2. Replenishes the deficiency of substances such as chromium and magnesium, zinc and iodine.
3. Protects the body from harmful external factors.
4. Accelerates skin regeneration.
5. Alleviates the form of diabetes.
6. Treats colds.
7. Helps in cases of intestinal inflammation.
8. Eases menopause.
9. Extends life.

If you eat 50 g of raw cocoa daily, you will quickly feel a surge of vigor and energy in the morning. In a month, the complexion will improve and the hormonal balance will return to normal.

Cocoa beans in cosmetology

Their composition tones and tightens the skin, improves the synthesis of elastin and collagen, activates metabolic processes and even eliminates stretch marks. Many mistakenly assume that products based on it can only be enjoyed in a professional salon. But cocoa face masks are easy to make at home.

Such funds are called universal: they are suitable for women of all ages and even teenagers. Cocoa relieves acne and blackheads, perfectly moisturizes, regulates the sebaceous glands, makes the skin more elastic.

And with the help of this product you can lose weight! Nutritionists say that every time you feel hungry but don't want to overeat, eat 1 tsp. cocoa or drink an unsweetened powder drink. The feeling of hunger will not appear for another 3 hours. Did you know this about cocoa? Could you think that the fruits of the chocolate tree look like this?