Cacao

cacao fruits

cacao, (Theobroma cacao), also called cocoa, tropical evergreen tree (family Malvaceae) grown for its edible seeds, whose scientific name means “food of the gods” in Greek. Native to lowland rainforests of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins, cacao is grown commercially in the New World tropics as well as western Africa and tropical Asia. Its seeds, called cocoa beans, are processed into cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and chocolate. This article treats the cultivation of the cacao plant. For information on the processing of cocoa and the history of its use, see the article cocoa.