University of Florida Plant Information Cocoa (Chocolate Bean) Growing in the Florida Home Landscape
Scientific Name: Theobroma cacao subsp. cacao and. T. cacao subsp. sphaerocarpum
Common Names: cocoa and chocolate (English), cacao (Spanish), cacaoyer and cacaotier (French), kakao (German), cacau (Portuguese)
Family: Sterculiaceae Related Species: cola nut (Cola acuminata)
Origin: Central and northern South America.
Distribution: Grown throughout the tropical world.
History: Cacao, or cocoa, is an ancient crop having been harvested and used by the indigenous people of Central and South America for thousands of years. Cocoa was introduced to Europe during the 16th century. In 1825–1828 technology to separate the cocoa butter from the dried beans was developed, which lead to the manufacture of solid chocolate. The invention of milk-chocolate by the Swiss in 1876 lead to the world-wide multi-billion-dollar chocolate processing industry.