Beginning with the Bean

Appears in
Real Chocolate: Over 50 Inspiring Recipes for Chocolate Indulgence

By Chantal Coady

Published 2003

  • About
Cocoa trees grow in a very narrow belt 10–20 degrees either side of the equator. They are fragile and need constant rainfall, warmth and shelter from the wind and sun. Basically there are two genetic types of cocoa – Forastero and Criollo. Forastero is the bulk cocoa grown for the commodity markets. With round pods, it is a high-yielding, hardy variety, the flavour of which is not considered to be particularly fine. Criollo is the original fine cocoa bean, a fragile – and now an endangered – species. The pods are normally red and elongated, and the flavour very fruity, redolent of ripe raspberries, redcurrants, and citrus fruit. At present this species of bean accounts for less than 5 per cent of the world’s cocoa production.