Cocoa bean

The cocoa bean is the dried, fully fermented seed of the cacao tree, *Theobroma cacao*. Because it is rich in fat, the bean can be ground into a liquor, which is then separated into cocoa butter and cocoa powder. These beans are the foundation of chocolate and traditional Mesoamerican foods like tejate, a Mexican drink.

Cacao trees are native to the Amazon rainforest. They were first domesticated at least 5,300 years ago by the Mayo-Chinchipe culture in South America, long before being introduced to Mesoamerica. Pre-Hispanic peoples used cacao in spiritual ceremonies, and its beans served as common currency in Mesoamerica. The tree grows only within a limited band around the equator; today, West Africa supplies nearly 81% of the world’s crop. The three main varieties are Forastero, Criollo, and Trinitario, with Forastero being the most widely grown.

In 2024, global production reached 5.8 million tonnes. Ivory Coast led with 38% of the total, followed by Ghana and Indonesia. Cocoa beans, butter, and powder are traded on futures markets—London focuses on West African cocoa, while New York handles Southeast Asian cocoa. Several initiatives support sustainable production, including the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa (SWISSCO), the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO), and Belgium’s Beyond Chocolate. By 2016, at least 29% of global production met voluntary sustainability standards. Deforestation from cocoa farming remains a concern, especially in West Africa, but practices like agroforestry can help conserve biodiversity while maintaining output. Cocoa is a major contributor to economies such as Nigeria’s, and demand for cocoa products has grown by over 3% annually since 2008.

Cocoa contains phytochemicals like flavanols, procyanidins, and other flavonoids. Flavanol-rich chocolate and cocoa may slightly lower blood pressure. The beans also contain theobromine and a small amount of caffeine. A cacao tree takes five years to mature and can live for about 100 years.

**Etymology** The word *cocoa* is a variant of *cacao*, likely arising from confusion with the word *coco*. It ultimately comes from *kakaw(a)*, though whether that root is from Nahuatl or a Mixe-Zoquean language is debated. The term *cocoa beans* appeared in the 19th century; in the 18th century, they were called chocolate nuts, cocoa nuts, or simply cocoa.

**History** The cacao tree is native to the Amazon rainforest. It was first domesticated at least 5,300 years ago at the Santa Ana-La Florida site in present-day southeast Ecuador by the Mayo-Chinchipe culture, before spreading to Mesoamerica. Over 3,000 years ago, pre-Hispanic cultures along the Yucatán—including the Maya and earlier the Olmec—consumed cacao in spiritual ceremonies. Wild cacao still grows in the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America, including Colombia and Venezuela; its original wild range may have been larger, obscured by long-standing cultivation before the Spanish arrived.

Evidence from 2018 suggests cacao was domesticated first in equatorial South America, then in Central America about 1,500 years later. Artifacts from Santa-Ana-La Florida show the Mayo-Chinchipe cultivated cacao 5,300 years ago. Chemical residue from pottery at Puerto Escondido, Honduras, indicates cocoa products were consumed there between 1500 and 1400 BC. Long before the seed’s flavor was prized, the sweet pulp of the fruit was used to make a fermented beverage (5.34% alcohol), which first drew attention to the plant.

Cocoa beans were common currency in Mesoamerica before the Spanish conquest, used to buy small items like tamales and rabbit dinners, while larger quantities purchased turkey hens and other goods. Cacao trees grow only within about 20° north and south of the equator. More than 70% of the world’s crop is grown in Africa, with Ivory Coast and Ghana producing roughly 58% of global output. Carl Linnaeus gave the plant its botanical name, *Theobroma* (“food of the gods”) *cacao*.

Cocoa was a key commodity in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. A Spanish soldier who fought with Hernán Cortés reported that Aztec emperor Moctezuma II drank only chocolate, served in a golden goblet, flavored with vanilla or other spices and whipped into a froth. Moctezuma reportedly consumed at least 60 portions daily, with 2,000 more for his nobles. The Spanish introduced chocolate to Europe, where it became a popular beverage by the mid-17th century. Venezuela became the world’s largest cocoa producer. Spaniards also brought the cacao tree to the West Indies and the Philippines, and Europeans later introduced it to Asia, South Asia, and West Africa. In the Gold Coast (modern Ghana), cacao was introduced by a Ghanaian named Tetteh Quarshie.

**Varieties** Cocoa beans are traditionally grouped into three main varieties: Forastero, Criollo, and Trinitario.