Cacao

Description:

Cacao bean (also Anglicized as cocoa bean, often simply cocoa and cacao; is the dried and fully fermented fatty bean of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and cocoa butter are extracted. A cocoa pod (fruit) has a rough and leathery rind about 3 cm thick, filled with sweet, mucilaginous pulp (called 'baba de cacao' in South America) enclosing 30 to 50 large seeds that are fairly soft and white to a pale lavender color. While seeds are usually white, they become violet or reddish brown during the drying process. Cocoa powder, a dry powder, is made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter cocoa solids.

Habitat:

Seen in the grounds of La Selva Biological Research Center.