| Cacao grows naturally in the tropics, between ten to | | | | pronounced character. Some of the most common |
| twenty degrees north and south of the equator-what | | | | beans used on quality milk chocolate bars worldwide |
| is called the "Cocoa Belt." The leading countries that | | | | are Manjari, Guanaja, Guayaquil, and Pur Caraibe. |
| supply cacao include Nigeria, Brazil, Indonesia, Ghana, | | | | Types of Cacao |
| Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Papua New Guinea, Dominican | | | | In the world, there are four major types of cacao that |
| Republic, and Cameroon. Other well-known countries | | | | are cultivated: Nacional, Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario. |
| that grow cacao include Malaysia, Madagascar, | | | | Nacional cacao beans come from South America |
| Mexico, Samoa, Cuba, and Grenada. The cacao tree | | | | west of Andes. Although it is difficult to grow and is |
| is not easy to grow and requires a certain kind of | | | | prone to disease, it has an excellent aroma and flavor. |
| climate, particularly in hot and rainy weather. While it | | | | The Criollo tree is grown in Mexico and some parts of |
| strives in warm temperatures, it has to be kept away | | | | South and Central America, but its yield is fairly low. Its |
| from direct sunlight and is thus usually grown under the | | | | beans are some of the best quality in the world and |
| shade of taller trees. The cacao tree can shoot up to | | | | are in very high demand. There are many varieties of |
| as high as 40 feet and have pods or fruits that grow | | | | the Criollo plant such as Chuao, Puerto Cabello, |
| as long as a foot. The fruit or pod develops a | | | | Porcelana, and Carupano from Venezuela. Criollo |
| brownish-yellow to purple color and can contain as | | | | beans are usually mixed with various types of cacao |
| much as 20 to 40 cacao seeds or beans in a pink and | | | | seeds for making different types of chocolate, including |
| whitish pulp. | | | | diabetic chocolate. The Forestraro cacao comes from |
| The Best Cacao Beans | | | | Africa, as well as in South and Central America and is |
| The best quality cacao beans come from Brazil, | | | | the most common type of cacao, making up about |
| Venezuela, the Ivory Coast, Central America, | | | | 80% of the world's production Trinitario is a crossbreed |
| Madagascar, and the Caribbean. The owner of Paris' | | | | between Forestraro and Criollo and is cultivated in |
| Maison du Chocolat, Robert Linxe, believes that Ariba | | | | South America, Asia, and Central and South America. |
| cacao beans from Central America are the finest in | | | | Like Forastrero it is resistant to diseases but gets its |
| the world mainly because of its intense flavor and | | | | aroma from Criollo. |