Where do cocoa beans come from?

Cacao beans, an essential ingredient at Berton Chocolates, come from the fruit of the cacao tree, a tree that grows exclusively in the humid tropical regions around the equator.

The main cocoa-producing regions are: West Africa (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon) and Central and South America (Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Colombia).

There are three main traditional varieties of cacao beans: Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario. There are other, lesser-known varieties that are just as fascinating.

More specifically, for some of its creations—such as organic Criollo beans—the chocolate maker sources its ingredients from Peru, a country renowned for the rich aromas of its fine cacao beans. These beans are organically grown, unroasted, and carefully selected to preserve all their nutritional and flavor qualities.

The pods are harvested by hand, opened to extract the beans, which are then fermented for several days. This step develops the precursors of the aromas.

The beans are then sun-dried to reduce their moisture content. This prevents mold and prepares the beans for processing.

We then collect the fermented and dried cocoa beans, which we use to make chocolate.

Is the cocoa bean a fruit or a vegetable?

Wrong guess… The cacao bean is neither a fruit nor a vegetable—it’s a seed. It comes from the cacao pod, which is the fruit of the cacao tree. Inside this fruit are several seeds, called cacao beans. So, the cacao bean is simply the seed of a fruit—not a fruit or a vegetable. It is this seed that is then processed to make chocolate.

Is the cacao bean a nut?

The cacao bean is not a nut. It is the seed contained within the fruit of the cacao tree, called the pod. This tropical fruit has a thick skin, but it is not a nut in the botanical sense of the term, like those found around walnuts or hazelnuts. These nuts have a hard, dry shell that protects their seed, which is not the case with the cocoa pod. Inside the cocoa pod, the cacao bean is surrounded by soft, sweet pulp. Thus, the cacao bean is simply a seed from a fruit, but neither the seed nor the fruit is a nut.

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You can come taste some chocolate at our artisanal organic chocolate shop in Availles en Châtellerault, in the Vienne department (86), 20 minutes from Futuroscope, or order from our online store by clicking here.