Dried Cocoa Beans

Cocoa (cacao) beans are dried seeds of the cocoa pod, which is the fruit of the cocoa tree grown in tropical (Nigeria) regions of the world. The cocoa bean is generally of a grey to dark brown appearance (external grey appearance not necessarily being indicative of inferior quality), the outer shell being brittle and the inner ib being the important part of the cocoa bean. Cocoa beans emit an acidic odour (variable according to origin), the nib having the odour reminiscent of chocolate (of which it is an important constituent). Cocoa beans are used primarily in the human food chain with alternative uses in cosmetics and, to a limited extent, in pharmaceuticals. The inner rib is used to produce cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, cocoa cake and cocoa powder.