Cacao México

Theobroma cocoa is the scientific name of the cocoa tree, evergreen plant family Malvaceae. Greek Theobroma means “food of the gods”, derived from the Nahuatl cocoa “cacahua”.

The first record of cocoa trees is in Mexico, these trees spread to the Amazon River basin. The origin of its name comes from the Nahua language.

The cocoa is a tree that needs moisture and heat. It is evergreen and always in bloom, growing from 6 to 10 m high. Requires shade (grow in the shade of larger trees and coconut palms, banana trees, cedar, mahogany and others to promote reforestation and water seepage to the groundwater, plus creating a habitat for various species of flora and fauna and contributing to soil nutrients), wind protection and a rich, porous soil, but grows well in lowland warm vapors. Their ideal height is, more or less, to 400 meters above sea level. The soil should be rich in nitrogen and potassium, and humid, with temperatures between 20 ° C and 30 ° C. This climate and these characteristics are present in several regions of the country, it is found in several areas in the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Veracruz, Michoacan, Colima, Campeche and Quintana Roo.

Caulífloro Tree (flowers and fruit growing directly from the stem and branches). Its small pink flowers and fruits grow in unusual ways: directly from the trunk and older branches. The flowers are pollinated by small flies. The fruit is a berry called maraca or cob, which is shaped like an elongated zucchini, turns red or yellow purple and weighs approximately 450 g when mature (15 to 30 cm long and 7-12 wide). A tree begins to bear more fruit when it has 4 or 5 years old.

In one year when mature, it may have 6,000 flowers but only 20 maracas. Although their fruits ripen throughout the year, it usually performs two harvests: the main (starting towards the end of the rainy season and continues until the beginning of the dry season) and the intermediate (at the beginning of the next rain periods), five to six months are needed between fertilization and harvesting.

The cocoa has longevity of approximately 40 years. A single tree can give 100.000 flowers a year, the flowers have a very short life of only 48 hours. The fruit can reach a length of 15 to 25 cms. When you open the fruit there are 30 to 40 cocoa beans, that when washed and dried are used to make chocolate.

Cacao México

PROMOTING A SUSTAINABLE WORLD

Cocoa

[en]Gallery[/en][es]Galería[/es]

Strategic Partners