Cacao 101
What part of the cacao fruit is used to make chocolate?
The seed/beans
Ancient evidence of cacao use dating back over 5,000 years was discovered in what modern country?
Ecuador
What climate does cacao grow best in: tropical, desert, or tundra?
Tropical
True or False: Ecuador is a major producer of fine-flavor cacao.
True
What are the three main types of chocolate?
Dark, milk & white
Cacao beans grow inside what part of the cacao tree?
The cacao pod/fruit
Which ancient civilizations famously used cacao beans as a form of currency?
Maya and Aztecs
Which continent produces most of the world's cacao today?
Africa
What percentage of Ecuador's cacao-bean exports are classified as fine or flavor cacao by the ICCO?
75%
What ingredient gives white chocolate its connection to cacao?
Cocoa butter
What is the scientific name of the cacao tree?
Theobroma cacao
Who brought an Aztec cacao-drink recipe back to Spain in 1528?
Hernán Cortés
Name two Caribbean countries known for producing cacao.
Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Haiti, or Trinidad & Tobago
Approximately how long ago does the earliest evidence of cacao use in present-day Ecuador date?
More than 5,300 years ago
For roughly what percentage of chocolate's long history was it consumed primarily as a drink rather than something you ate?
About 90%
What important process happens to cacao beans after harvesting and helps develop chocolate's flavor?
In what year was the first modern solid chocolate bar created?
1847
Which Caribbean country has 60% of its cacao exports classified as fine or flavor cacao?
Dominican Republic
In which Ecuadorian province was archaeological evidence of cacao use from over 5,000 years ago discovered?
Zamora Chinchipe
What does Theobroma, from Theobroma cacao, mean in Greek?
"Food of the gods"
Put these steps in order: Roasting, Harvesting, Fermentation, Grinding.
→ Harvesting → Fermentation → Roasting → Grinding
Cacao beans weren't just food. Name two other purposes they served in pre-Columbian civilizations.
Currency/trade and rituals
What region accounts for approximately 90% of the world's fine-flavor cacao exports?
Latin America
What Ecuadorian cacao variety is famous internationally for its fine flavor and aroma?
Nacional (often associated with “Arriba” cacao)
Before sugar became common in chocolate, name one ingredient ancient Mesoamerican cultures used to flavor cacao drinks.
Chili, vanilla, herbs/spices.