Chocolate

Chocolate grows on trees! It comes from cacao trees (also called cocoa trees). Chocolate is one of the most popular flavors in the world. Cacao trees grow in tropical areas near the Equator.

Most cacao trees are grown on farms in West Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America. Cacao trees are small evergreen trees with clusters of flowers. They grow to be around 13 to 26 feet tall. They begin producing fruit when they are four to five years old. The fruit of the cacao tree is called a cocoa pod. The pods are the shape of a small football and turn orange when they are ripe. Each pod contains 20 to 60 seeds. The seeds are also called cocoa beans.…