5. From pod to bean, different varieties of cacao & consumption

(BAILLEUX ET AL., 1995) The cacao pods grow on the trunks of the trees. Usually it is possible to see of they are ripe by looking at their colour. However, in Surinam, where the pods are almost always purplish in colour, the pickers have to identify the ripe fruit by ear. “The pods should make a dull sound when tapped lightly with the fingers, and the seeds should be distinctly heard rattling against each other.” Long poles, with a sharp blade on the end are used to remove the pods from the trees. The pods are being split and emptied by hand. Sometimes the open pods are used as fertilizers and animal feed or to make whine, brandy or cacao vinegar. Usually, they are not used at all.

The seeds have to be fermented to destroy the seed’s embryo, so it will not be able to germinate any more. Now the seed is called a bean. The fermentation process is also important for the future flavour of the chocolate. The faster the process goes, the better the cacao will be. The taste of chocolate is determined by more than five hundred different substances, which can all be identified in one single seed.

The seeds are dried in the sun on banana leaves, in special trays, or on the floor. The length of the drying period is dependent on the variety of the cacao. There are three different varieties of cacao trees; criollos, forasteros, and trinitarios. Criollo (=indigenous) trees used to be the chocolate trees of the Maya and they are also the legendary variety which was cultivated by the Aztec god Quetzacoatl. Since these trees are very delicate, have low yields, and require a lot of care, they are only used on a very small scale (less then 10 % of the world production). Criollo trees are mainly cultivated in Central- and South American countries.

The majority of the African cacao crop is produced by the forastero (=foreign) variety. These trees grow much faster and produce more fruit than the Criollos. They are responsible for 80 % of the world production. It has a strong, bitter flavour and is therefore frequently used in blends. Some people say that forastero is to chocolate what robusta is to coffee.

At the beginning of the eighteenth century, a hurricane destroyed most of the criollo trees in Trinidad, which had been planted by Spanish colonists. Because of this loss, Forasteros were planted. The intercrossings of this two varieties resulted in a new variety: the Trinitarios. These trees produce fine cacao beans with a high fat content and represent 10 to 15 % of the world production. It is now grown in several areas but the quality varies strong, depending on the region. The best Trinitarios are found on their native island, Trinidad.

When the beans are dried, they are put in sacs and transported to different countries. The consumption of cacao has grown enormously since it has been discovered (see table 2).

Nowadays, 400,000 tons of cacao per year reach Amsterdam, the largest ca¬cao port in the World. 250,000 tons are being transported as bulk in stead of in the traditional bags. This transport method saves time and money (ANEMA, 1997). The chocolate market is still growing. Japanese are also starting to eat chocolate, now it is being promoted there (Velders, 1997).

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