A visit to someone's home was so very rewarding. She was showing her many fruit plants and pointed to the cacao tree. I was thrilled. Loving chocolate and raw cacao this was very special to me.
Cacao pods grow randomly out of the tree trunk. Out of little clusters of flowers they become the fruit or pod. Each pod may contain 20-60 beans.
The scientific name Theobroma means "food of the gods". At one point the Aztec empire used cacao beans as currency. The buying power of quality beans was such that 80-100 beans could buy a new cloth mantle.
Cacao is very high in minerals. The shell of the pod is strong, protecting this special food, needing a good knife to open it. Each bean is covered with a white pulp. To make chocolate this pulp is dried off and the bean is exposed and goes through processes.
I was given three cacao pods, yes I was definitely very happy. The fruit is not sweet. The texture and the gentle bitternes of the nibs are exotically wonderful. I am so grateful to have this experience of eating "food of the gods".
Cacao pods grow randomly out of the tree trunk. Out of little clusters of flowers they become the fruit or pod. Each pod may contain 20-60 beans.
The scientific name Theobroma means "food of the gods". At one point the Aztec empire used cacao beans as currency. The buying power of quality beans was such that 80-100 beans could buy a new cloth mantle.
Cacao is very high in minerals. The shell of the pod is strong, protecting this special food, needing a good knife to open it. Each bean is covered with a white pulp. To make chocolate this pulp is dried off and the bean is exposed and goes through processes.
I was given three cacao pods, yes I was definitely very happy. The fruit is not sweet. The texture and the gentle bitternes of the nibs are exotically wonderful. I am so grateful to have this experience of eating "food of the gods".
