Cocoa


Cocoa
ˈkōkō
Cocoa beans are the magic beans that give us chocolate.

Origin

This wonderful bean also known as cacao comes from the Theobroma tree. The seeds from the cocoa tree are used to make cocoa powder.

Cocoa was primarily found in Mexico and other regions of Central and South America on the foothills of the Andes. In early times, the Aztec and Mayan people used the cocoa fruit to make a fermented beverage, cacahuatl. The cocoa bean was used as a currency to trade. 

In the 1500s, cocoa was introduced to Spain and quickly spread to France, England and parts of Western Europe. The demand for cocoa grew as did the cultivation of the cocoa trees. It was highly enjoyed as a beverage in elite societies and it wasn’t until 1850 when chocolate in a solid form was introduced. The 1900s is when chocolate was introduced to the public as it is known today.
There are three main varieties of cocoa plant - Forastero, Criollo, and Trinitario. Forastero is the most popular kind and accounts for majority of the production. The Trinitario kind is grown in Trinidad and considered to be of the highest quality.

Around the world, people consume more than 4.5 million tons of cocoa beans. According to Faostat of the U.N., as of 2017, the highest grossing nations of cocoa production are Ivory Coast, Ghana and Indonesia.

Fair Trade cocoa movements have been established in countries of Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, The Congo, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Haiti, India Ivory Coast, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Sierra Leonne and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Recipes

Cocoa beans, cocoa butter and sugar are the main ingredients to make chocolate. Now, chocolatiers around the world produce chocolate in many varieties.

Cocoa powder is also commonly used, mainly in baking. The beans are crushed and dried the fat known as cocoa butter is removed, resulting in the powder. The powder form is unsweetened which is used to add a rich chocolate flavor to recipes such as fudge, flourless chocolate cake  and chocolate truffles. 


As enjoyed in the early days, cocoa powder is also used to make beverages. Today, a favorite drink is hot chocolate! Here’s a recipe for a rich tasting cup of classic Dutch hot chocolate.
You can even make your own homemade chocolate.

The whole process of how chocolate is made from the seed in the tree to the delicious goodness you eat is quite fascinating. Here’s a step by step lesson on how chocolate is made. Enjoy!

Cures
Cocoa has been used for medicinal purposes for over 3,000 years.

Even though chocolate has many calories and can be associated with weight gain, there are health benefits when it is enjoyed in cocoa form and in moderation. Cocoa is rich in flavanols and known to have antioxidants, can lower cholesterol and help keep your brain healthy and reduce memory decline.

But keep in mind, the higher the sugar content, the lower the health benefits.

 Beauty Products
Cocoa butter is often found in creams, cosmetics, soaps and other beauty products because it is rich in fatty acids and known to hydrate skin. Cocoa butter is used to improve skin elasticity and help smooth scars, wrinkles and stretch marks from pregnancy. Cocoa butter is edible and tasty and can also be found in lip moisturizers.

Cocoa is just plain yummy!

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