A Look at Cocoa Trees and Cocoa Pods
You are sitting eating your favorite chocolate snack and your mind starts to wander: how did this rich chocolate get to me and what are its humble beginnings? You may have read something about the various steps of processing that turn cocoa into chocolate. But you yearn to know more about the plant itself, such as where and how it grows. Read on for an interesting trip through the rain forest.
The Plant
Theobroma cocoa: the scientific name for the cocoa plant, meaning "Food of the Gods"
The cocoa plant grows in warm, high-moisture areas, specifically tropical rain forests and within 20 degrees north and south of the equator. The mean temperature range for cocoa-growing climates is 64 to 89 degrees (Farenheit), and rainfall is 1,250 to 3,000 mm per year. Cocoa trees thrive in shaded areas, but don't tolerate strong winds very well.
Cocoa Tree Shade Structure
The Pods
Cocoa pods are the oblong-shaped fruit of the cocoa tree. They hold the many cocoa beans that are then roasted and used in chocolate. The pods grow on the trunk and large branches of the cocoa tree. While they grow throughout the year, they are usually harvested twice a year. The pods must be picked when they are ripe; they do not fall off the tree on their own.
Small insects pollinate flowers on the cocoa tree. The tree regulates the pod yield, but on average, only five of every 100 flowers become pods. The flowers open during the night and have 48 hours to be pollinated. Then, pods ripen 150-180 days after pollination. |
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The Enemies
Cocoa trees don't always yield as many pods as they could due to a variety of factors, but often because of pests and disease. Insects and small animals sometimes damage the pods. One specific insect in South Asia , the cocoa pod borer (or cocoa moth), lays eggs on the surface of the pod, the larvae then bore into the pod and, after two weeks, tunnel out of the pod. Other animals, like monkeys, squirrels and rats, also wreak havoc on the cocoa pods. Diseases that afflict the cocoa tree include Black Pod (Phytophthora), Moniliophthora Pod Rot, Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus, and, Witches' Broom (Crinipellis perniciosa). It is estimated that 20-30 percent of total cocoa crop is lost due to tree diseases, pod diseases and pests.
The Friends
Although there are pathogens that cause disease to the cocoa tree, there are also several creatures that may be counted as friends and help to combat those diseases. Several species of fungi and other types of microorganims that do not harm the tree or pod may be used as a control mechanism to combat witches broom and other diseases. Trichoderma, Cladobotryum amazonense, and Clonostachys rosea are some of the varieties of antagonistic fungi to prevent witches broom. Integrated pest management strategies utilizing the friends of the cocoa tree offer promise in allowing for control of disease and for a vital, thriving cocoa crop. Research is underway to understand the mechanisms by which microorganisms inhibit pathogens and suppress disease development.
The Complexity of Cocoa Processing
You may know about the potentially beneficial compounds in chocolate called flavonoids and you may have heard that the levels of flavonoids differ in dark and milk chocolates. Although, in some cases this may be true, what is also very important for flavonoid levels is how the cocoa beans are handled.
Flavonoids occur naturally in the cocoa plant as a way of protecting the plant. Their presence affect the taste of chocolate and are responsible for the astringency in the unprocessed cocoa bean. When cocoa is processed into your favorite chocolate products, it goes through several steps that help to develop the flavor of chocolate and determine the amount of flavonoids retained in the finished chocolate product. These steps include:
Fermentation: This first step is crucial for the level of flavonoids and, subsequently, the taste of chocolate. The longer the cocoa beans are fermented, the more flavonoids are lost and the less astringent the beans will be
Drying: Good drying practices also relate to the flavor quality of chocolate. Modern technology has allowed for beans to be dried mechanically as opposed to sun-drying, though flavonoids may be lost during both methods.
Roasting: Roasting temperatures and duration of roasting time significantly affect the flavor and flavonoid content of chocolate. Higher temperatures decrease the flavonoid content to a greater extent, but flavonoids are also lost the longer the beans are roasted.
Alkalizing ("Dutching"): Alkali is sometimes added to chocolates, some commercial cocoa powders and most cocoa drink mixes for flavor. This process, which increases the pH of the product, has a negative impact on flavonoid levels.
Conching: This step has minimal impact on flavonoid level and is mainly for smoothing out the texture and rounding out flavors.
When chocolate manufacturers begin to select their cocoa beans and start the process of making chocolate products, they are most concerned with flavor. However, as research on the potential health benefits of chocolate flavonoids unfolds, it is becoming clear to certain companies that preserving these compounds, while maintaining the flavor that consumers love, is important.
