Organic Cocao Cacao / Coca / Coco Powder (High in VitC High in Fibre) No + Sugar

Description

The Cocoa tree is believed to have originated in the foothills of the Andes in the Amazon and the Orinoco basins of South America where some wild trees can still be found today. However due to cultivation of these areas its thought that it was then introduced to both Central America and Mexico.

The cocoa pod has a rough rind which varies greatly depending on the origin and variety it contains a sweet pulp known as ‘Baba de Cacao’ in South America it can contain between 30 and 50 large almond sized beans. These are often pink to purple in coulour and soft to touch.

Cocoa comes from the fatty seed of the cocao tree which is dried and partially fermented, its from this that chocolate is made. Cocoa often also refers to cocoa powder which is made by finely grinding the cocoa seeds and then removing the cocoa butter from the bitter cocoa solids.

When the pods are ripe they are havested with machetes, the seeds and pulp are removed and placed on large grates and the rind is discarded. The seeds and pulm now undergo the process called sweating where the pulp fermentsand trickles away leaving behind the cocoa seeds. Sweating is important due to the strong bitter taste of the beans. The fermented beans are then laid out to dry often in the sun.