Where do cocoa trees grow?

Where do cocoa trees grow?

Cocoa needs a high temperature, plenty of water, and air that is always moist. Therefore, cocoa is grown in the hot and humid regions of Africa (mainly in forest regions), Central and South America, Asia and Oceania.

Where does cocoa grow best?

The production of cocoa begins in the tropical regions around the Equator, where the hot and humid climate is well suited for growing cocoa trees. 70% of the world’s cocoa beans come from four West African countries: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon.

Can cocoa beans grow in the US?

Cocoa beans do indeed grow in the USA, but only in very limited areas. Much like their parent trees, cocoa beans need constant warm temperatures in order to thrive – usually between 65 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit – along with high humidity and ample rainfall (40-100 inches annually).

What conditions do cocoa beans grow in?

It requires high rainfall and temperatures to grow, as well as rainforest trees to offer shade and protection from too much light and damage caused by wind. Because cocoa farms are sensitive to this type of climate, they can only flourish in a narrow band of countries between 20 degrees north and south of the equator.

Who discovered cocoa beans?

One story says Christopher Columbus discovered cacao beans after intercepting a trade ship on a journey to America and brought the beans back to Spain with him in 1502. Another tale states Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes was introduced to chocolate by the Aztecs of Montezuma’s court.

How do cocoa beans grow?

Cocoa beans, or cacao beans, come from the Theobroma cacao tree. It takes about 5 years (from seed) for a cacao tree to grow mature and start producing cacao pods. The beans grow in football-shaped pods on the trunk of the tree and from larger branches. The average cacao tree produces 30-40 cacao pods a year.

Are cocoa trees illegal?

The Ivory Coast is the largest producer of cocoa beans, providing more than one-third of the world’s supply. Growing cocoa is not illegal, but growing it in a national forest reserve is.

Can I grow a cocoa plant?

Cacao Care. Cacao trees are not easy to grow, especially if you want to cultivate them outside of their natural environment. Occasionally growers keep them as houseplants. But it is very difficult to provide them with the proper light and humidity levels indoors, and they often won’t ever produce seed pods.

Is it legal to grow cacao?

Cacao trees are quite finicky. They need protection from sun and wind, which is why they thrive in the understory of warm rainforests. In the United States, that means the tree can only be grown in USDA zones 11-13 – Hawaii, parts of southern Florida and southern California as well as tropical Puerto Rico.

Can I grow a cocoa tree in my house?

How do you grow a cocoa tree?

Situate the cacao 10 feet or so from a taller evergreen that can provide partial shade and wind protection. Dig a hole three times the depth and width of the tree’s root ball. Return two thirds of the loose soil back into the hole and set the tree atop the mound at the same level it grew in its pot.

Who first used cocoa beans?

Chocolate’s 4,000-year history began in ancient Mesoamerica, present day Mexico. It’s here that the first cacao plants were found. The Olmec, one of the earliest civilizations in Latin America, were the first to turn the cacao plant into chocolate. They drank their chocolate during rituals and used it as medicine.

Where do cocoa beans grow?

Cocoa beans typically grow within 20 degrees of the equator. This distinctive growing region is commonly referred to as the “cocoa belt.” Where does cocoa come from? Cocoa beans, or cacao beans, come from the Theobroma cacao tree. The Theobroma cacao tree is a fruit tree, whose name means “food of the gods”.

What is a cocoa bean?

Think about this… What is a cocoa bean? Cocoa beans are little beans found in the pods that grow on cacao (cocoa) trees. The pods are orange and are about as big as a small pumpkin. They look like a football with some of the air out of it.

How long does it take for cocoa trees to grow?

Cocoa trees grow slowly. It takes three to five years for cocoa trees to produce pods with beans for making chocolate. Cocoa trees can live up to two hundred years, but will only produce cocoa beans for about twenty-five of those years.

Which country is the largest producer of cocoa beans?

In 2017, world production of cocoa beans was 5.2 million tonnes, led by Ivory Coast with 38% of the total. Other major producers were Ghana (17%) and Indonesia (13%). As of 2019, over 75% of cocoa produced worldwide comes from West Africa, specifically Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon and Nigeria.