Where does chocolate come from?
After fermentation process, the cocoa beans are spread out to dry. Then they are bagged and shipped off to the exporters. After arriving at the exporters warehouses the beans are dumped and spread out for further drying. Then they are graded and bagged and then shipped to buyers from all over the world. Now where does chocolate come from: The kind we love to eat? The buyers of the cacao beans are the chocolate processors who make the cacao beans into all kind of chocolate. The chocolate we are familiar with are the sweet candies that we love to eat. But there are other kinds, like bakers chocolate, chocolate syrups. cocoa powder and so forth. Recently we have been hearing that the right kinds of chocolate are good for us. It said that the vitamins and minerals in cold processed chocolate have positive benefits in the fight against cancer and heart disease and sugar diabetes. Three of the most deadly medical problems in the western world today.
Making sure there’s enough chocolate in the world may seem like a sweet-heart of a job. But it’s actually becoming quite a challenge. Five major diseases now threaten the world’s population of cacao trees, from which chocolate is derived. But scientists working on the problem are optimistic that their efforts to control these diseases and create sustainable growing practices will work. Once a substantial business, cocoa bean production in Brazil is now only one-fourth of what it was ten years ago, for the most part due to the invasion of a single fungus, Crinipellis perniciosa. In West and Central Africa where much of the world’s cocoa beans are grown, losses due to another disease, black pod, range from 30 to 90% annually. Add to that the fact that black pod, like many of these diseases, has features that make it difficult to control, and you begin to understand why plant pathologists feel particularly challenged. States John Bowers, a plant pathologist with USDA ARS in Beltsville, MD
Growing Regions Cacao trees grow best in the geographic band that is 15-20 degrees north or south of Equator in West Africa, Central and South America and parts of Asia. Worldwide cacao production is disbursed among the major cocoa producing countries as shown below: Source: UNCTAD based on the data from International Cocoa Organization, quarterly bulletin of cocoa statistics Cacao is also grown in Sri Lanka, parts of India, Venezuela, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, Hawaii, Mexico, Fiji and other countries clustered near the equator. Growing Conditions The trees flourish in the shade of rainforests where they gain protection from the wind in rich, well drained soil. The climate is one of high humidity, usually 100% during the day and 70-80% at night. The cacao prefers a constant but moderate temperature of 77 degrees at all times, and ample rainfall of 40-80 inches per year is preferable Cacao Tree The scientific name given to the cacao t
Ever wonder how this favorite dessert and ingredient for baked goods came about? Where Does Chocolate Come From – History The history of chocolate as we know it dates back to 1828 when a dutch chemist Johannes Van Houten came up with a way of separating the fat (cocoa butter) from the ground cocoa beans. This provided cocoa powder which tasted a lot better than the whole bean. Soon enough people were coming up with ways to mix the powder with milk and make chocolate bars and the first bar (swiss of course) was sold in 1875. Where Does Chocolate Come From – Process Chocolate comes from the cocoa bean. These seeds are found in pods that grow on the trunk and lower branches of the cacao tree. This tree is native to the Amazon and Brazil but is cultivated in many tropical climates today. The pods take about 6 months to develop and cocoa can be harvested about twice a year. From Beans To Bars You may not only wonder where does chocolate come from, but also how it ends up as a candy bar? Fir
