Cacao Theobroma cacao “Food of the Gods” About 1500 BC in lowlands of Gulf of Mexico in America appeared the Olmec civilization. By 1000 BC their word "kakawa" was written which is the sound we use "cacao". Maya called prepared drink from cocoa beans "xocolatl", Aztecs - "cacahuatl"; the Mexican Indian word "chocolate" comes from a combination of the words "choco" ("foam") and "atl" ("water") (early chocolate was only consumed in beverage form). • Understorey 6-8 m some 12-14 m tree of rainforest, native to Amazonian Peru. • Leaves simple,12-60 cm long by 4-20 cm wide. • Two distinct branch types- verticals called chupon and laterals called fan branches form the jorquette. • Flowers produced on ‘pads’ on trunk and main branches. • Pollination is out- crossing via midges, • Fruit is a fleshy less than 1 % set ‘pod’ 10 -30 cm long, 2-4 cm long by 1-2 cm wide seeds covered with white mucilage. • 3 main subspecies: – Criollo - yellow to red, deeply furrowed pods, best flavor, low yield – Forastero - yellow, less furrowed pods, high yield lower quality, – Trinitario - hybrid of criollo and forastero Propagation is by seed from pods in variety block, rooted cuttings,

wedge graft

or grafting with Patch bud graft buds or short scions. Planting under shade at 4x4 m, though Hawaii is likely to be 3 x 2 m without shade. Fertilizer, irrigation and windbreaks can substitute for shade. Pruning is to train tree to single chupons, stopping at second jorquette and to remove diseased limbs. Harvest is by hand year- round, higher after end of rainy season (Feb to May in Hawaii). Pest and Fungal Diseases Witches Broom

Black Pod

Frosty Pod Japanese Rose Beetle is serious establishment problem in Hawaii On-farm processing – Breaking the pod – Seed removal – Dry fermenting – Seed drying Small Scale Fermentation

Seeds held container over water at 35C 3d, then at 45C for 3d, dried at 35C for 2 d. World Production 2004 3.6 M Mt

As dried cocoa beans • Cote d’Ivoire 1.3 M Mt • Ghana 0.74 M Mt • Indonesia 0.43 M mt As ground cocoa beans for cocoa mass, cocoa cake, cocoa butter • Netherland 0.44M Mt • USA 0.41M Mt • Cote d’Ivoire 0.28M Mt As chocolate 1/3 made into cocoa liquor (cocoa mass) 2/3 made into cocoa butter and cocoa Assume bean is 50% cocoa butter then 2/3 of production used to make chocolate, 2.4M Mt 60% of chocolate sold in Europe and US, 20% of world population Cacao to Chocolate Flow Chart Making Chocolate Roasting - 100 to 135C, until cracking sound stops, or strong aroma of ‘brownies baking’ up to 60 min, Crushing and winnowing - produces “nibs” and shell (seed coat) Next if producing cocoa and cocoa butter then press nibs to separate If producing chocolate Grind nibs to produce cocoa liquor - this is the first stage of sensory evaluation Next is conching mixing & refining- sugar, cocoa butter, lecithin added while cocoa liquor is ground even finer. This process may take several hours to days. Next is tempering to increase meltingpoint and hardness. Last is pouring the chocolate into molds or simply onto a marble slab or silicon pad.