Cocoa Pods | Cabosses de Cacao

Cabosses de Cacao | Cocoa Pods(Theobroma cacao) cacao, cocoa, chocolate tree, God’s tree, kako, cacahualt, xoxoatl, tchocolatl
Origin: Timor Leste, Ecuador, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Uganda or Indonesia according season
Harvest: 2024
DDM: 30 days from delivery
 
"Theobroma" means "the food of the Gods" in Greek and the chocolate from its beans was traditionally drunk by the Aztecs. Its precise scientific name is: Theobroma cacao, Carl von Linné (1707-1778 - from the Swedish botanist-naturalist). Cacao as chocolate are words of Aztec origin "cacahualt, xoxoatl and tchocolatl", meaning bitter drink. Vanilla was mixed to it to balance its taste.
 
The cacao tree is a tree of warm regions, native to Central and South America and cultivated in the countries of the tropical belt, also called "cocoa belt" (around the equator). A fragile tree, the cacao tree appreciates a humid or moderate climate with a rainfall of 1500 mm/year. The soil must be rich, deep and slightly acidic. Not supporting direct light, it prefers an exposure of shade to partial shade. It grows in the shade of larger trees such as banana trees or coconut trees. The cocoa tree, once established, withstands temperatures of around 10°C. The ideal temperature is 25 to 30°C.
 
Flowering occurs from April to July, and from October to January. The first fruiting occurs in the 3rd or 4th year. Its lifespan is around 40 years and it can reach 15m in height. It has large elliptical leaves with sharp ends, flowers growing directly on the trunk or large branches and producing pointed, furrowed and warty ovoid fruits (pods).
 
The pod weighs between 400 and 500g, and takes 5 to 6 months to mature. A pod contains 30 to 40 seeds (beans), each containing about 50% fat called cocoa butter, 5% water, 7% starch, 4% cellulose, 2% theobromine, 20% other proteins and 6% mineral substances. It takes 50 pods to produce 2kg of cocoa. The seeds (beans) are surrounded by a white, sweet pulp perfectly edible with floral aromas and flavours of exotic fruits, lychee and quince with a light acidic note. At this stage the beans can be germinated to grow new cocoa trees.
 
Otherwise to make chocolate the cocoa pods are cut in half to extract the beans and the pulp which are placed in a fermentation box, often made of wood and covered with dried banana leaf, where they are stirred regularly to gradually remove the pulp and allow the beans to ferment. They are then washed and spread out to dry in the sun while turned regularly during this drying phase which last up to 2 weeks. The beans are ready to roast when the humidity is + - 7%, after which they can be grinded into a cocoa tourteau, and gradually conched and tempered into a smooth and shining dark chocolate.
 
To transform the cocoa beans into chocolate, they are roasted, i.e. heating to 140 to 160 °C for 20 to 30 minutes, which allows the cocoa aromas to develop (see Maillard reactions). When the fat is removed, which is called cocoa butter, it can also be used for certain aromatic, cosmetic and pharmaceutical purpose in particular. To make raw cocoa we use the fermented, dried, roasted and crushed seeds transformed into a cocoa tourteau. By adding water and sugar to it, we obtain a cacao tea. By adding milk and sugar, we obtain a milk chocolate drink. By separating the fat from the cocoa, we obtain cocoa butter and lean cocoa. By mixing cocoa butter, milk and sugar, we obtain the white chocolate.
 
Just like vanilla, there are also different species of cocoa, including the best known: Criollo, Forastero, Trinitario and Nacional. Forastero is the most cultivated, given its resistance, productivity and rapid growth. Originally from the Upper Amazon, it is a cocoa with a very full-bodied taste. Indeed, it offers a stronger aroma, more acidic too, and forastero cocoa is often called "loose cocoa", because it gives chocolate a typical aroma. It represents 80 to 90% of world production.
 
Criollo, originally from Mexico, is the closest to the original Mayan cocoa. Of exceptional quality (not very bitter), it is rare and very expensive. The Criollo variety is hardy, and the cocoa trees bearing this type of bean are fragile and particularly sensitive to diseases as well as climatic conditions. Criollo cocoa has been considered for many years as the cocoa of high-end chocolate. It represents less than 5% of world cocoa production.
 
Trinitario was created by hybridization between criollo and forastero. It is a very good quality cocoa. This cross, originally carried out in Trinidad (off the coast of Venezuela), earned it its name Trinitario. This cocoa combines some of the aromatic and sensory virtues of Criollo cocoa and the yield of Forastero cocoa. It represents 10 to 15% of world production.
 
Nacional, also called arriba, is a cocoa cultivar from forastero. It is initially cultivated in Ecuador, the country where it was developed, at the foot of the Andes mountain range, and then its cultivation spread to other Amazonian countries. Its delicate aromas (floral notes of jasmine, orange blossom, constituting the aroma called arriba) make it a fine and aromatic cocoa with rare production. It constitutes less than 0.002% of world production.
 
Did you know that the cocoa tree also contains treasures beyond its delicious chocolate? Beauty, health and gourmet, the cocoa tree is invited into all areas for our greatest pleasure. An ally for your beauty, it is a real nourishing treasure for your skin. Cocoa butter is also used in the composition of many cosmetic products for soft and protected skin. It is also an excellent remedy against asthenia. Preparation: Boil 7 dried seeds in 250 ml of water for 10 minutes covered. Let cool, filter and drink 1 cup 3 times a day for 7 days. It is a must in cooking too, the basic ingredient for chocolate of course, and a delight that we never tire of.
 
Pod Net weight: from 200 Grams to more than 1000 Gr.Packaging: Wrapped in paper and protected in a box. Origin certified