People love eating chocolate around the globe. Everyone is interested in eating chocolate in any form whether it is plain chocolate or it is mixed with some other ingredients. But chocolate has its recognition all over the world. Some people have no idea where does chocolate come from and they think it is something sweet candy treat but in real it is bitter in taste just like coffee beans which is mixed with some ingredients to provide it yummy sweet taste. But first we need to answer where does chocolate come from.
The chocolate grows on tree. It might be shocking for some people to know that chocolate grows on tree but yes it grows on tree. The growth of chocolate starts with a tropical tree known as Theobroma cacao or simply cacao. Theobroma is a Greek word which means a food of Gods but the native region of cacao is the South America. It is grown throughout the tropical area of the world but seventy percent of the cacao is grown in Africa who is the biggest importers of cacao in all over the world. The quality of cacaos is different in different areas but the chocolate made by using African coco are best in taste and flavor.
Cacao trees are able to produce about two thousand pods per year. These pods resemble with rugby ball and you can say that it is the fruit of cacao tree. These pods do not grow within the leaves but they grow directly on the branches and trunks of the tress. The pods that grow throughout the year have thick white covering containing inside about thirty to forty seeds. The pulp flavor is little sweetish and tart. It can be used for eating or to be used in some drinks but the seeds it contains are very bitter in flavor unlike the chocolate which is made by using these seeds.
The monkeys are very much interested in eating the fruit but they throw away the seeds which can be utilized after collecting and washing them to form in a powder that is further transferred into chocolate. Some seeds that are left behind cause new trees to grow in the location and therefore the trees start to increase their number of growth every year. But what how humans can use these seeds and the answer of where does chocolate comes from, lies inside the seeds.
First of all, the seeds are harvested because it is very difficult to climb up a tree. After that the pods are opened by hands and seeds are taken out. Further they were left for the fermentation process. The fermentation process makes the seeds more eatable and chocolaty in flavor. The sugar turns into acids and the color is changed to dark brown. Usually two or three days are enough for this process but some seeds can even take about weeks or two.
After fermentation process, these beans are dried and are ready to send in the market with the name of coco beans.
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