Cacao

Ever wonder where chocolate comes from? The cacao (kuh-KOW) tree! Cacao trees are grown in the shade of the rainforest, or sometimes on plantations, in Africa and Central America. A cacao tree must be at least five years old before it flowers. Small insects called midges pollinate the flowers so the fruit can grow. The football-shaped fruits, or cacao pods, grow along the tree trunk and branches and turn bright colors when ripe. Inside are the cacao seeds-the source of chocolate. Monkeys, bats, and squirrels eat the sweet pulp surrounding the seeds, which are then spit out as the animals travel through the rainforest.

• The Mayans first discovered chocolate about 1,500 years ago.
• Chocolate was enjoyed as a drink before it was made into a solid form to eat.
• The average American eats about 10 pounds of chocolate a year!