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The cocoa bean, also known as cocoa (/ ˈ k oʊ. k oʊ /) or cacao (/ k ə ˈ k aʊ /), [1] is the dried and fully fermented seed of Theobroma cacao, the cacao tree, from which cocoa solids (a mixture of nonfat substances) and cocoa butter (the fat) can be extracted.
Theobroma cacao (cacao tree or cocoa tree) is a small (6–12 m (20–39 ft) tall) evergreen tree in the Malvaceae family. [1] [3] Its seeds - cocoa beans - are used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter and chocolate. [4] Although the tree is native to the tropics of the Americas, the largest producer of cocoa beans in 2022 was ...
Traditional cocoa farms are planted in the shade among other crops and trees. They are especially found in the tropical rainforest areas. [7] Farming cocoa beans is a long process and many factors can affect the farm's yield. Farms' cocoa crop outputs struggle to match the increasing demand for chocolate.
The crop is grown in Ivory Coast mostly by smallholder farmers planting on 1 to 3 hectares. [10] The pods containing the beans are harvested when a sufficient number are ripe, opened to separate the seeds and pulp from the outer rind, and the seeds and pulp are usually allowed to ferment somewhere on the farm, before the seeds are dried in a central location.
When the tree matures, the bases of the laterals form a single ring. [2] Subsequently, the tree development produce chupons from below the first jorquette to form another storey of fan branches from a second jorquette, a process which may be repeated. Selective pruning seeks for the jorquettes to achieve maximum light absorption efficiency. [1]
Chocolate's quality is heavily impacted by the basic raw materials and various steps of its manufacturing process. Traditional chocolate-making steps include conching, tempering, emulsification, flavouring, fermentation, drying, roasting, and grinding cocoa seeds, which are then combined with materials such as cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, and, in certain cases, milk components. [2]
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The supply of cocoa has fluctuated in recent years due to climate and economic factors. The El Niño phenomenon that hit in the year 2009 greatly reduced the cocoa production in the following years. The extreme weather conditions added to the impending financial crises to limit both the supply and demand for cocoa.