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With its heady scent, earthy color palette, lush, melting texture, and indescribable flavor, it’s no wonder people around the world embrace chocolate. But how do we get from pod to pleasure? The process from shade-loving tree to foil-trussed bar is a fascinating, labor-intensive journey with a lexicon all its own.
[caption id="attachment_127612" align="aligncenter" width="600"] SHADE GROWN
Cacao trees are delicate, shade-loving plants that thrive in the tropics.[/caption] All varieties of chocolate rely on a key ingredient: cacao seeds pried from a pulpy pod growing on a fragile tree. The cacao (pronounced kah-KOW) tree most likely originated in the Amazon, sheltered beneath the forest canopy, straddling 20 degrees north and south of the equator—75 percent of cacao is found within 8 degrees of this equatorial belt. Requiring a strict diet of rain, shade, humidity, and nitrogen-rich soil, cacao trees also flourish in West Africa, South and Central America, and Southeast Asia and Oceania. Wherever it’s grown, debate follows the botany of the cacao pod: some say it’s a fruit, others say a berry. The bottom line is that chocolate comes from a fruit tree but it’s made from the seeds, which are also called beans. And our affection for this confection is still going strong.
Cacao trees are delicate, shade-loving plants that thrive in the tropics.[/caption] All varieties of chocolate rely on a key ingredient: cacao seeds pried from a pulpy pod growing on a fragile tree. The cacao (pronounced kah-KOW) tree most likely originated in the Amazon, sheltered beneath the forest canopy, straddling 20 degrees north and south of the equator—75 percent of cacao is found within 8 degrees of this equatorial belt. Requiring a strict diet of rain, shade, humidity, and nitrogen-rich soil, cacao trees also flourish in West Africa, South and Central America, and Southeast Asia and Oceania. Wherever it’s grown, debate follows the botany of the cacao pod: some say it’s a fruit, others say a berry. The bottom line is that chocolate comes from a fruit tree but it’s made from the seeds, which are also called beans. And our affection for this confection is still going strong.