Cocoa bean
Seed of Theobroma cacao, source of chocolate and cocoa products.
The cocoa bean is the dried and fully fermented seed of Theobroma cacao, the cacao tree. It is the basis of chocolate and Mesoamerican foods such as tejate, an indigenous Mexican drink. Due to its high fat content, the bean can be ground into a liquor, from which cocoa butter and cocoa powder are extracted.
- native region
- Amazon rainforest
- domesticated by
- Mayo-Chinchipe culture
- main varieties
- Forastero, Criollo, Trinitario
- global production (2024)
- 5.8 million tonnes
- top producer
- Ivory Coast (38%)
- key compounds
- flavanols, procyanidins, theobromine, caffeine
Lore & Background
Cacao was consumed by pre-Hispanic cultures in spiritual ceremonies, and its beans were a common currency in Mesoamerica. The tree grows in a limited geographical zone, and today West Africa produces nearly 81% of the world's crop. The three main varieties are Forastero, Criollo, and Trinitario, with Forastero being the most widely used. The term 'cocoa' is a variant of 'cacao', likely due to confusion with the word coco, and ultimately derives from kakaw(a), though its origin in Nahuatl or a Mixe-Zoquean language is debated. The term 'cocoa beans' originated in the 19th century; in the 18th century they were called chocolate nuts or cocoa nuts.
Reader's Guide
The cocoa bean has profound historical and economic significance. After European introduction, chocolate became a popular beverage by the mid-17th century. Today, cocoa is a global commodity, with West Africa producing the vast majority of the world's crop. Cocoa beans, butter, and powder are traded on futures markets in London and New York. Sustainability initiatives such as SWISSCO, GISCO, and Beyond Chocolate aim to address deforestation and promote sustainable practices like agroforestry. Cocoa contains phytochemicals including flavanols, which may have a small blood pressure lowering effect, as well as theobromine and caffeine.
Did You Know?
- The cocoa bean was a common currency in Mesoamerica before the Spanish conquest.
- Cocoa contains theobromine and a small amount of caffeine.
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