CACAO—AKA “Chocolate Fruit”
The flesh of Cacao tastes very sweet and refreshing. Underneath the flesh, Cacao
beans taste slightly sweet and slightly bitter.
Cacao fruit itself doesn’t have a strong scent, but its beans can smell strongly,
depending on the type of Cacao, its growing conditions, and processing method. When
producing chocolate, Cacao can have a indulgent, nutty, and sweet aroma.
The outer (red/yellow/green/brown) skin of Cacao is thick and rough. Its inner (white) flesh surrounding the seeds is soft and juicy. The (brown) beans inside the flesh are slightly hard and dry.
Cacao is native to South America and Central America. It grows in other tropical regions too, such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and West Africa.
Cacao flesh and beans alone are mainly eaten by people that live near the places where the fruit is grown. However, Cacao beans are eaten worldwide in the form of chocolate, ice cream, brownies, and other desserts.