What are the characteristics of the Theobroma cacao plant?
Placentation axial and seeds embedded in a mass of pulp
Large seeds with a bitter taste and covered by a sweet and sour pulp
Hermafrodita sexuality
Native to South Mexico and Central America
Requires high annual average temperatures and high humidity
Produces flowers almost all year round
The Criollo type produces the highest quality chocolate
The Forastero type dominates the world production
The Trinitario type is a recent hybrid and can be artificially reproduced
The plant is shade-tolerant and grows in the lower floors of tropical rainforests