OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

Did you know that chocolate comes from a tree? The cocoa tree grows big, colorful pods right on its trunk and branches that can be yellow, orange, red, or purple! Each pod is about the size of a football and is full of seeds called cocoa beans hiding inside.

Cocoa trees love warm, rainy places near the equator in countries like Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador. After the pods are cut from the tree, the beans are scooped out, dried in the sun, and roasted until they turn dark brown. Then sugar and milk are mixed in to make the sweet chocolate we all love!

People use cocoa beans to make chocolate bars, hot cocoa, chocolate ice cream, and so many other treats. The word chocolate actually comes from an ancient Aztec word. People in Central America were making chocolate drinks over 3,000 years ago!

• It takes about 400 cocoa beans to make just one pound of chocolate, so every candy bar is a lot of work!
• The beans taste super bitter until people roast them and add sugar.
• Cocoa pods grow right on the trunk of the tree, which is very unusual for a fruit!