Cocoa tree, tree of good

Theobroma cacao is the scientific name for the cacao tree, the tree that makes human life (even) more meaningful. And the tree that makes calls to eat only locally produced food seem so very unfair, if not downright callous. A cocoa tree does not grow on the edge of your grandmother''s garden, as a plum or almond tree might. An evergreen, it is tied to its proximity to the equator, thriving in the shady rainforests of Central and South America (not to mention that it can be seen in the tropical greenhouse of the Ljubljana Botanical Garden). But it is not only the abundance of rainfall and humidity that it needs, but also the nutrient-rich soils and the temperatures that do not drop below 16 °C. It is not only the rain that is so rich, but also the soil that is so rich in nutrients.

The gift of the gods

The famous tropical tree, from whose seeds raw cocoa is extracted, rich in antioxidants and minerals, has been valued and enjoyed by the indigenous tribes of the Amazon, including the Maya and Aztecs, who saw it as a sacred tree given by the gods for its beneficial and healing effects on the body and mind. They brought it to their fields and began to cultivate it systematically. Not only was cacao once considered legal tender and a medium of exchange, it was also indispensable in ceremonial or religious rituals. It was also, alongside gold and precious stones, one of the sacrificial offerings for the dead.

A speciality of delicate colours

The cocoa tree is considered to be quite susceptible to disease and fungi, especially in the first four years, when, like other tropical plants that must first make their way to the light, growth is very rapid, but then slows down and resistance is strengthened. However, since the tree as such does not boast any particular strength that would give it branches of self-sufficiency, it is not surprising that other tree species can be found on cocoa plantations to provide it with the protection and shade it needs.

On average, a tree that grows to 20 metres bears about 40 elongated fruits, which, in their rough, leathery skin about three centimetres thick, provide room for the sweet fruit flesh that surrounds the seeds (which vary in number from 30 to 50) of various shades of delicate colours. An interesting detail is the unusual fact that the fruit, which can weigh up to one kilo, grows directly from the trunk or main branches, never from the lateral or young shoots. Cavlifloria is the term used in botany for this phenomenon. But even though thousands of tiny flowers in white and soft red bloom on the tree in a single year, only about 30 of them bear fruit. It is worth noting that the pods on the same tree are at different stages of maturity and have a varied colour palette, so that the harvesting of ripe cocoa fruits is by no means limited to a week or two.

Hybrids between the dominant and the prestigious

Although there are several types of cocoa, there are roughly two: criollo and forastero. The forastero cocoa is the most widely used in chocolate production, as it is renowned for its resilience and for the fact that it yields abundantly. It is its commercial viability that makes it so superior to African cocoa plantations. The aroma, although chocolatey, is not particularly pronounced and develops more quickly than in the case of criollo, which has a fuller flavour but a much lower yield and a greater degree of sensitivity. However, if its share of world production is minor, its price is by no means minor; in fact, it is several times higher than the aforementioned forastero or natural hybrids such as trinitario.