Cacao Tree

chocolate · tropical plants · seeds · farming

Native to the Americas. Cacao trees originally grew wild in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. Today, even though the trees still grow best in warm, tropical places, most of the world's cocoa beans come from Africa, especially Côte d'Ivoire.

Seeds become chocolate. Inside the cacao pod are beans that taste bitter on their own. When these beans are dried, fermented, and roasted, they transform into the cocoa we use to make delicious chocolate, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter.

Evergreen tropical tree. Cacao is a small evergreen tree, which means it keeps its leaves year-round and stays green all the time. It belongs to the same plant family as hibiscus and cotton plants.

More than just chocolate. Cacao beans give us chocolate liquor, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter. These ingredients show up in everything from chocolate bars and desserts to some medicines and beauty products.