POEX: Chocolate » Cocoa cultivation and harvest

COCOA CULTIVATION AND HARVEST

The main ingredient in chocolate is cocoa, which is derived from beans of the tropical Cocoa Tree. The cocoa tree is very difficult for cultivation as it requires the correct humidity and high temperatures. The Cocoa tree comes from South and Central America and today is cultivated in tropical area all around the world. It is an understory tree, growing best with some overhead shade.

Fruit

The fruit called Cacao pod is ovoid and changes its colour during ripening from green-yellow to orange or brown. They can weight up to 500g and grow up to 25cm. When the pods are ripe, harvesters hack the pods gently off the trees with machetes..

Fermentation

Harvested pods are gently opened and the cocoa beans are removed using a short knife. At this stage they are white and bitter. Now the beans undergo the fermentation process during which their colour and aroma change to brown and characteristic for chocolate. The beans are either placed in shallow, heated trays or covered with large banana leaves for about 3 days, depending on the climate.

Drying

After fermentation, it is important to dry the seeds thoroughly. Farmers simply spread the fermented seeds on trays and leave them in the sun to dry for one week.

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