Are Cocoa Beans A Vegetable? This Classification Will Drive You Cuckoo

Cocoa beans are responsible for producing chocolate.

The cocoa tree is grown in a certain part of the world. Most tropical areas have cocoa bean cultivation farms.

Cocoa butter and cocoa solids are extracted from cocoa. Cocoa beans can simply be called cocoa. It is grown on Mexican farms.

The favorite snack of many kids and adults is chocolate, which is made from cocoa. The tree requires an excessive amount of rainfall and hence is located only in the rainforests. The Amazon Rainforest in South America is famous for the production of cocoa.

Cocoa trees are very difficult to grow outside of their natural environment. Many people may wish to grow them in order to get cocoa fruit and cocoa pods for an unlimited dark chocolate supply throughout the year.

However, this would be very difficult to do. The humidity and temperature would need to be accurate. Making cocoa paste is not an easy process.

The sweet pulp which is formed inside the cocoa pod of the cocoa fruit is fermented. The cocoa fruit juice is mixed with sugar to use in confectionaries. The cocoa fruit plant takes a lot of time to become a cocoa bean.

Cocoa pods on cocoa trees should be allowed to ripen. A cocoa bean is then taken to a factory and covered in banana leaves.

If you like our article, be sure to check out more fun facts articles about why we crave chocolate and where chocolate flavoring comes from?

Is a cocoa bean a fruit or a vegetable?

Some people think that the cocoa bean is a fruit. Some might think that it is a vegetable as the FDA has reconsidered its guidelines in recent times and declared it as such. Some feel that it is a nut.

But, cocoa beans are actually fruits. The seeds of the fruit of cocoa are what a cocoa bean is. A large seed of the fruit of the cocoa tree doesn't necessarily mean that the fruit is sweet.

These are found on the Ivory Coast. Coffee is also produced in the same way as cocoa. Coffee beans are also produced from a pod.

Chocolate preparation hardly requires any ingredients. Since chocolate is so widely consumed, the seeds of the tree have to be harvested carefully.

No dessert is complete without chocolate. Chocolate beans are not legumes as legumes have to be boiled again after being bought for consumption. A strawberry fruit can be covered with chocolate to become a healthy dessert.

Chocolate chips are added to nutritional oats and fruit to add a sweet flavor. Chocolate can be eaten by most people, and in its raw and pure form, without adulteration of sugar, it is considered really healthy.

Where and how is cocoa produced?

Cocoa beans are produced in African countries. Most countries that are situated across the equator can produce cocoa. The fruit produced on a cocoa tree is called a pod.

The pod is where the seed is produced. These pods are grown in the trunk and branches of the cocoa tree. The cocoa bean turns green, and they eventually start to ripen and then turn into an orange color.

When they have reached an orange or orangish-brown color, they are considered ripe. When they are ready, farmers come and collect the pods. Theobroma cocoa is the scientific name of cocoa.

The process of the production of cocoa begins with collecting ripe cocoa bean pods. These pods contain wet beans. The wet beans are opened a week or 10 days after the harvested cocoa pod is removed from the tree.

There are different ways to open the pod so that the bean inside it doesn't get damaged. The beans are then sent to ferment.

The pulp surrounding the beans causes them to ferment. The piles of cocoa beans are surrounded by banana leaves. Banana leaves help in fermentation.

The length of fermentation differs with different varieties of beans. The criollo variety requires two to three days, while forest types require five days of fermentation.

Then, the final step is drying the fermented cocoa beans. It is a slow process, and it happens in two ways: sun drying and artificial drying. In any case, there should be the utmost care taken to make sure that the cocoa beans do not form a layer and contract mold causing bacteria.

Did the FDA classify chocolate as a vegetable?

The FDA does various quality checks on food items produced across America. It is their job to identify ingredients and classify food into food groups.

Recently, during research, scientists found out that chocolate has chocolate liquor in it, as passed down from the cocoa bean. It is said to meet the guidelines of the federal corporation for being a vegetable.

Chocolate was classified as a vegetable since it has high amounts of palm oil in it. Not all chocolates have a high percentage of palm oil in them. Many low-grade chocolate companies compromise with the quality of chocolate in their production; hence this step was taken.

How much of each cocoa variety is grown?

There are actually known to be ten varieties of cocoa. The different types of trees that are grown differ due to their geographical area. The varieties are Criollo, Contamana, Amelonado, Equitos, Purus, Nanay, Curaray, Maranon, Nacional and Cacao guiana. They are defined into three major categories: Forastero, Trinitarioand Criollo.

The Forastero bean is a common cocoa bean product. It is grown at about 95% of cocoa plantations. Consumer cocoa is its common name as it is the type that is mainly used in chocolate production.

It is the hardest of all cocoa. Another common name for this cocoa is bulk cocoa, as it is grown in bulk. It is mostly grown in West Africa and Brazil but is of Amazonian origin.

The Trinitario bean variety is a hybrid variety between Forastero and Criollo cocoa. It contributes to 5% of cocoa production. It is mostly grown in Trinidad, hence its name Trinidad cocoa. The flavor is of fine cocoa.

The Criollo cocoa bean variety is the rarest and purest of all cocoa beans. It constitutes about 1% of the total cocoa production. It is native to South American countries like Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, The Caribbean, and Colombia. It is the finest cocoa with a bitter taste to it. This cocoa is usually preferred in dark chocolate.

What is the future of cocoa growing?

Cocoa used to be a delicacy in ancient times, but now it's being consumed rapidly by many people across the globe.

Cocoa is not classified under nuts or legumes; it is a seed of the fruits grown in West Africa. Indonesia has been a significant source of cocoa beans. Many foods use chocolate as their primary ingredient.

Chocolate bars are very famous among every person, and hence the use of cocoa is rapidly increasing. Companies have taken up their share of forest lands and exclusively cultivate cocoa for their products. On lands that are not owned, a sufficient amount cannot be produced every year.

Why is cocoa good for you?

Consuming cocoa is a two-sided sword. Its benefits are well researched and proven to be effective. But on the other side, overconsumption can lead to side effects.

Essential nutrients are present in cocoa, like theobromine. Theobromine is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Cocoa powder, if consumed without adulteration with sugar, has a high amount of phytonutrients in it, which is healthy. The powder is free from fat and carbohydrates.

Can I be allergic to cocoa?

Cocoa is a favorite among many people.

As is the case with every food type and different person, there is a possibility of being allergic to cocoa. However, it is rare and very few cases have been reported regarding it.

On the other hand, many people are known to be allergic to chocolate bars in general, but mainly to the added ingredients in the chocolate and not the main ingredient, cocoa. People who are lactose-intolerant will have difficulty consuming milk chocolate.

Any traces of milk can be harmful to their system. These people will benefit from foods made from only sugar and chocolate. Dark chocolate does not contain milk.

The beans from the cocoa pod can be crushed to make chocolate powder. These can be used to make ganache when mixed with sugar.

Apart from food, cocoa is widely used in the cosmetic industry. Cocoa butter is very famous in colder countries where the temperature is always low, and there is freezing snow.

It has a high moisture content, which can help the body to recover from dry skin. When applied to the skin, cocoa butter gives off a beautiful chocolate smell and acts as a heavy emollient, keeping the skin soft and supple.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked learning whether are cocoa beans are a vegetable, then why not take a look at our other articles about where chocolate comes from or how white chocolate is made?