Cacao grows naturally in the tropics, between ten to twenty degrees north and south of the equator-what is called the “Cocoa Belt.” The leading countries that supply cacao include Nigeria, Brazil, Indonesia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Papua New Guinea, Dominican Republic, and Cameroon. Other well-known countries that grow cacao include Malaysia, Madagascar, Mexico, Samoa, Cuba, and Grenada. The cacao tree is not easy to grow and requires a certain kind of climate, particularly in hot and rainy weather. While it strives in warm temperatures, it has to be kept away from direct sunlight and is thus usually grown under the shade of taller trees. The cacao tree can shoot up to as high as 40 feet and have pods or fruits that grow as long as a foot. The fruit or pod develops a brownish-yellow to purple color and can contain as much as 20 to 40 cacao seeds or beans in a pink and whitish pulp.
The Best Cacao Beans
The best quality cacao beans come from Brazil, Venezuela, the Ivory Coast, Central America, Madagascar, and the Caribbean. The owner of Paris’ Maison du Chocolat, Robert Linxe, believes that Ariba cacao beans from Central America are the finest in the world mainly because of its intense flavor and pronounced character. Some of the most common beans used on quality milk chocolate bars worldwide are Manjari, Guanaja, Guayaquil, and Pur Caraibe.
Types of Cacao
In the world, there are four major types of cacao that are cultivated: Nacional, Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario. Nacional cacao beans come from South America west of Andes. Although it is difficult to grow and is prone to disease, it has an excellent aroma and flavor. The Criollo tree is grown in Mexico and some parts of South and Central America, but its yield is fairly low. Its beans are some of the best quality in the world and are in very high demand. There are many varieties of the Criollo plant such as Chuao, Puerto Cabello, Porcelana, and Carupano from Venezuela. Criollo beans are usually mixed with various types of cacao seeds for making different types of chocolate, including diabetic chocolate. The Forestraro cacao comes from Africa, as well as in South and Central America and is the most common type of cacao, making up about 80% of the world’s production Trinitario is a crossbreed between Forestraro and Criollo and is cultivated in South America, Asia, and Central and South America. Like Forastrero it is resistant to diseases but gets its aroma from Criollo.