Cacao

The sacred tree of the Maya and Aztecs – its seeds made a bitter drink for rulers, and the beans served as money.

Cacao is a small evergreen tree growing to 4–8 m in the shade of taller trees in humid tropical forest. Its small, pinkish-white flowers sprout directly from the trunk and thick branches and are pollinated mainly by midges. They develop into elongated, ribbed pods 15–30 cm long, containing several dozen seeds surrounded by sweetish pulp. After fermenting, drying and roasting, the seeds yield cocoa mass – the basis of chocolate and cocoa powder.

Significance in the country

The earliest evidence of cacao use in Mesoamerica comes from the coast of Chiapas almost 4,000 years ago, and the Aztecs paid tribute and taxes in cacao beans. The word “chocolate” probably derives from Nahuatl, and hot chocolate and mole, in which cacao is combined with chili, remain pillars of Mexican cuisine.

Where it grows

The humid lowlands of the south – above all the Chontalpa region of Tabasco and the Soconusco in Chiapas; small plantings also in Oaxaca, Guerrero and Veracruz.

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