Cacao is a type of tropical tree, part of the evergreen family, that produces the world’s chocolate in raw form, before fat, sugar, and other “sweeteners” are added. The cacao tree grows in a few specific regions of the world naturally, including Mexico and South America, where most of the cacao or chocolate beans/seeds come from. Cacao trees only grow in tropical areas with the right combination of climate, temperature, and environment factors. You can’t just plant a cacao tree anywhere – it won’t grow or survive in the wrong conditions. The Cacao tree has been grown and harvested for thousands of years, and still so today, for its powerful chocolate seeds. Many things are made from this raw seed, such as cocoa (pulverized cacao seed mixed with sweeteners), chocolate (candy, drinks, etc…) and cocoa butter. The cacao tree can reach a height of 25 feet, with “seed pods” growing up to four inches thick and a foot long. The shell is a leathery texture, much like that of a coconut. Each of the pods can produce as many as 40 seeds (called beans before they are processed and stripped of their hard protective shell). The “beans” are approximately one inch wide. There are many different Theobroma tree species being cultivated in Tropical South America every year. You can also find these trees in South-East Asia, West Africa, and Mexico. The benefits of some of the better resources for finding the cacao tree are that some are grown under the shade of much bigger (and different) trees. This has a profound effect on the end resulting seeds, which tend to be more potent and higher in antioxidants.