Cacao tree

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cacao-tree

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Theobroma cacao
2. What is the native range?Amazon basin and surrounding tropical rainforests of South America
3. What is a cacao tree and where does it grow?A cacao tree is a small, shade-loving tree that grows in tropical rainforests, especially in the Amazon. It likes warm, humid weather and stays under the canopy of bigger trees.
4. How do cacao trees make chocolate?The tree produces long pods that hold cacao beans. After the beans are fermented, dried, roasted, and ground, they become cocoa liquor, the base of chocolate.

Cauliflory: The botanical phenomenon where flowers and fruits develop directly from the trunk or older woody branches of a plant.
Cocoa Liquor: A paste derived from finely ground cacao nibs, comprising cocoa solids and cocoa butter, serving as the base for chocolate production.
Conching: A lengthy process of mixing, agitating, and aerating chocolate liquor to develop its flavor and smooth texture.
Tempering: A controlled heating and cooling process for chocolate that stabilizes the cocoa butter crystals, resulting in a desirable gloss, snap, and melt.