Theobroma cacao (cacao)

Japanese name: カカオ
Scientific name: Theobroma cacao

[Overview]
An evergreen small tree 6–9 m tall, native to tropical rainforest regions of Central and South America.
The bark is grayish brown.
The branches spread widely, and young branches bear soft hairs.
The leaves are simple and alternate, narrowly ovate to elliptic, 20–30 cm long and 7–10 cm wide, and glossy.
The leaf margins are entire.
If the temperature is high enough, it flowers all year round.
Small, delicate cymes arise directly from the trunk and branches.
The flowers are small, cream-colored, 5-petaled, 1–2 cm across; the base of each petal is rounded like a helmet and curves inward, and the upper part narrows abruptly and bends back.
The sepals are 5-lobed, tinged with pink, and pointed at the tip.
The fruit is a capsule, also called a cacao pod, shaped like a rugby ball, 15–30 cm long, 8–10 cm across and weighing about 500 g; the surface usually has 10 lengthwise grooves and is bumpy.
The fruit skin is usually yellow to orange, but white, green, red and other colors also occur; the inner layer is thick and fleshy, and becomes hard and woody when dried.
The inside of the fruit is divided into 5 chambers, and each chamber holds 20–60 seeds lined up, covered with a mucilaginous, sweet-sour, cream-colored pulp.
The seeds are slightly flattened and ovate, 2.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide.

[History]
It was cultivated in Mexico and Central and South America long before the discovery of the Americas, and the seeds were also used as currency.

[Uses]
The seeds are called cacao beans and are the raw material for chocolate and cocoa; cacao butter (also called cocoa butter) is used as an ointment base and in cosmetics.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by bud grafting.
It prefers a humid tropical climate; suitable regions lie within 20 degrees of latitude north or south, with temperatures of 28°C or higher throughout the year and annual rainfall of 2,000 mm or more.
In regions colder than the warm temperate zone, a greenhouse is necessary.
It prefers partial shade, high temperature and humidity, and fertile, deep, moderately moist cultivated soil with good drainage and water retention.
Avoid strong winds.

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