Overview and description of cocoa cultivation in Venezuela

Greetings dear friends of @HeartSTEM this time I will talk a little about a crop of global importance as CACAO, just thinking about this crop comes to my mind the tasty chocolate, today I will show you some general characteristics of this aphrodisiac crop.

Cocoa, whose scientific name is Theobroma cacao, a name that comes from the etymological origin of the words Theos: God, Broma: food, food of the gods. It is known as a tree born in Venezuelan lands, whose fruit was and is used by the natives of the region. This crop has been part of the socioeconomic evolution of Venezuela from the 15th century to the present, representing flavor, fragrance, idiosyncrasy and economy. In the seventeenth century cocoa, coffee and indigo were a great support in terms of agro-exports, until the first third of the twentieth century when it was displaced by oil; however, cocoa is still today the great Venezuelan food of flavor, treats for children and satisfaction for adults.

It is a medium-sized plant, from 5 to 8 meters, although it could reach up to 15 meters in height if it is not pruned. It has a straight trunk that takes different shapes in its branches as it grows; the leaves are simple and whole, ranging from green of different shades to brown, reddish and purple colors. The tree can bloom throughout the year, as long as there are no prolonged periods of drought; the flowers open in the afternoon and pollination is entomophilous, carried out by a mosquito.

As for fruit they grow on the trunk and branches, and are called cob, inside them are the seeds, called grains or beans, these grains have a thin shell, a kernel and a germ.

The cocoa that is marketed is the Cacao criollo whose cobs can be red or green before reaching maturity, the cob is wide at the base, has on its surface some deep grooves about 10 grooves, the internal beans are thick and rounded.

There is also the porcelain cocoa whose trees are low, with thin and short branches, the flowers are pink, the cobs are short and cylindrical, have about five grooves not very deep, the cobs can vary in color from white to red, the kernels have a pink color that allows it to differentiate from others. Others are the Cacao forastero and trinitarios whose fruits are hard shell, elongated and flat beans of purple color and bitter taste.

Finally, it is important to note that cocoa beans are used for the production and preparation of chocolate, candies and chocolate drinks, among other things. In international markets, cocoa is marketed in dried seeds (almonds), which have to be roasted prior to processing. I bid you farewell and hope that the material will be of great help.

Guzmán, J.(2006). Cocoa agroproduction. Espasande Editores, Caracas.