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Money may not grow on trees, but cocoa beans do!  Delicious chocolate has been a treat for over 5,000 years. But what do we know about this cousin of okra and cotton? Let’s find out. First, when I hear the word bean, I think of legumes. In the case of cocoa beans, I would be incorrect. Like coffee beans and kola nuts, cocoa beans are the seeds of a fruit. The cocoa we enjoy as chocolate is the dried and fermented seed of the cacao or cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao). That Latin name comes from the Greek word for “food of the gods”. Cocoa tree description Evergreen cocoa trees grow 20 to 40 feet tall. The leaves are broad, 3” long, and alternate along the stems. Thousands of tiny flowers grow in clusters directly from the trunk and large branches in a behavior known as cauliflory, but mature trees may only produce 20 fruits each year. .jpg) Cocoa flowers (Vinayaraj) CC BY-SA 4.0 The fruit or pod can grow nearly a foot long and weigh up to one pound. Inside the fruit, 20 to 60 seeds are held in a white pulp. In some countries, cocoa pulp is used to make jellies and juice. But it is the seeds that give us chocolate. Cocoa seeds contain 40–50% fat. We call that fat cocoa butter. And it takes more than 500 seeds to make one pound of cocoa paste.  A cacao tree with fruit pods in various stages of ripening. (Medicaster) Public Domain  Cocoa seeds inside fruit (Keith Weller, USDA) Public Domain There are three types of cocoa trees, each with distinct characteristics:
 The three traditional varieties- Forastero, Trinitario, and Criollo (Tamorian) CC BY 3.0 How cocoa trees grow
Cocoa trees are grown from budding, cuttings, grafting, or seeds. You can also buy seedlings. Native to the understory of the American tropics, cocoa trees grow best in warm, wet, somewhat shaded locations. [USDA Hardiness Zones 10-12] They cannot tolerate temperatures below 55°F for long. Cocoa trees do not produce pods until they are four or five years old. They have extensive root systems that thrive in red clay (laterite) soils with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0 and good drainage. Unlike many other fruiting trees, biting midges (Forcipomyia) pollinate cocoa flowers instead of bees and butterflies. Pests and diseases of cocoa trees Most cocoa tree pests are region-specific. In the Americas, the cocoa fruit borer (Carmenta theobromae) causes significant problems, as do rats, squirrels, and woodpeckers. Fungal diseases of cocoa trees include Ceratocystis wilt, frosty pod rot, vascular streak dieback, Verticillium wilt, and witches’ broom. The cacao swollen shoot virus can infect cocoa trees, and mistletoe can drain your trees. Habitat loss is the biggest threat to modern cocoa trees. Many current growing areas are expected to be unsuitable by 2050. If you can, you might want to plant one today! Many of us use cinnamon in baking and other dishes, but how much do we know about this fascinating spice? And did you know that much of the cinnamon found in stores isn’t really cinnamon? Read on!  Dried bark strips, bark powder and flowers of Ceylon cinnamon (Simon A. Eugster) CC BY-SA 3.0 Cinnamon has been prized for thousands of years. Initially considered fit only for gods, monarchs, and mummies, those who knew where it came from kept their sources secret to maintain their monopoly. Instead, they encouraged myths about giant cinnamon birds who collected the dried sticks from distant shores where the trees were guarded by winged serpents. Two thousand years ago, 11 ounces of cinnamon cost the equivalent of 50 months’ labor. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that cinnamon was fished up in nets from the Nile River. In any case, the delicious aroma we associate with cinnamon comes to us from the inner bark of several different trees in the Cinnamomum genus. These trees are cousins to bay and other laurels. Cinnamon trees are evergreens with oval leaves and thick bark.  Cinnamon leaves (L. Shyamal) CC BY-SA 3.0
There are four major types of cassia:
Cassia is often mixed with true cinnamon to form a counterfeit product marked falsely as cinnamon. I guess we get what we pay for. How cinnamon is managed Cinnamon trees are allowed to grow for two years before harvesting begins. They are grown on plantations in South America, Asia, China, and India. Once the trees are mature enough, they are coppiced. The following year, parts of the outer bark are scraped off to expose the inner bark. This inner bark is peeled off and sun-dried or ground into powder. Stick cinnamon can last up to five years when stored in an airtight container, but ground cinnamon should be used within six months. Or, you can try growing your own.  Cinnamon flowers (Augustus Binu) CC BY-SA 3.0 How to grow cinnamon
You can grow a cinnamon tree indoors pretty much anywhere. You’ll need to live in USDA Hardiness Zones 10-12 for one to grow well outside. These trees prefer slightly acidic soil (pH 6.2-7.2). Depending on the variety selected, your tree may grow 3 to 60 feet tall and 2 to 20 feet wide, so plan accordingly. Your cinnamon tree will need plenty of direct sunlight but can handle some afternoon shade. These trees should be watered deeply and fertilized often when establishing a root system and every spring. You can grow a cinnamon tree from a stem cutting or purchase a seedling. Cinnamon pests and diseases Cinnamon trees are vulnerable to several fungal diseases including types of Diplodia, the fungal pathogen responsible for anthracnose (Glomerella cingulate), and a form of dieback known as cinnamon fungus (Phytophthora cinnamomi). Leaf miners and mealybugs are common cinnamon tree pests. In the tropics, cinnamon butterfly caterpillars and cinnamon gall mites are the primary pests. When cinnamon is cured improperly, many pests are attracted to the fragrant, vulnerable wood. Fumigation with sulfur dioxide is the most common treatment. [I have no idea how much sulfur dioxide remains on our cinnamon once it reaches the store.] |
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