Cocoa bean
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German: Kakaobohne Also known as: Theobroma cacao, Kakaobaum, Kakaoschote
Seed of the tropical cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) which, after fermentation, drying and roasting, yields cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder.
The cacao tree grows in hot, humid regions around the equator. Its fruits, the cocoa pods, grow directly on the trunk and each contain several dozen seeds in white pulp. These seeds are the cocoa beans.
Freshly harvested, they taste bitter and astringent. Only fermentation in the pulp, subsequent drying and roasting develop the typical cocoa aroma. Ground, they form cocoa mass, which can be separated into cocoa butter and cocoa powder. Traditionally, the variety groups Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario are distinguished.
Related terms
CriolloFermentationForasteroCocoa powder (high-fat and low-fat)Trinitario
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