At Idilia Foods, cocoa is at the heart of many of our most beloved products. But before it reaches your cup in the form of a warm, comforting beverage, cocoa embarks on a remarkable journey—one that begins in tropical forests and spans continents, cultures, and centuries of tradition.
The cocoa tree: origins and growing regions
Cocoa comes from the Theobroma cacao tree, a tropical evergreen, native to the rainforests of Central and South America. The name Theobroma fittingly means “food of the gods,” and for centuries, cocoa has been revered for its unique properties and rich flavour.
Today, cocoa is primarily grown in a narrow belt around the Equator, between 20° north and 20° south. The leading cocoa-producing regions include:
- West Africa: Ivory Coast and Ghana together produce over 60% of the world’s cocoa.
- Latin America: Countries like Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil are known for fine-flavour varieties.
- Southeast Asia: Indonesia is a significant producer, focusing mainly on bulk cocoa.
Cocoa trees thrive in warm, humid climates with well-distributed rainfall and rich, loamy soils. It takes about three to five years for a tree to start bearing fruit.
The cocoa pod: nature’s treasure chest
Each cocoa tree produces colourful pods that grow directly from its trunk and main branches—a phenomenon known as cauliflory. These pods come in a range of shapes and colors, from green and yellow to deep purple and red, depending on the variety.
Inside each pod are 20 to 50 cocoa beans, surrounded by a sweet, tangy white pulp. It’s these beans that eventually become the cocoa powder used in our favorite drinks. But the transformation is far from simple.
Varieties of cocoa
There are three main types of cocoa beans:
- Forastero: The most widely cultivated, known for its strong, robust flavor.
- Criollo: Rarer and more delicate, with complex aromatic notes; considered the “gourmet” variety.
- Trinitario: A hybrid of Forastero and Criollo, offering a balance of yield and fine flavor.
Each variety brings unique characteristics to the final product, influencing everything from aroma and acidity to bitterness and mouthfeel.
From harvest to fermentation
Harvesting cocoa is a manual process. Skilled farmers use machetes or curved knives to carefully cut pods from the tree, avoiding damage to the bark.
Once harvested, the beans are removed and placed—still surrounded by their pulp—into wooden boxes or baskets to ferment. This crucial step, which lasts from five to seven days, helps develop the beans’ flavour precursors and reduce their bitterness.
Fermentation also transforms the beans from a pale colour to a rich brown and initiates the complex biochemical processes that give cocoa its distinctive taste.
Drying, sorting, and shipping
After fermentation, the beans are sun-dried, often on large mats or drying tables. Proper drying is vital to prevent mould and to preserve the beans’ quality. The dried beans are then sorted, bagged, and shipped to cocoa processors around the world—including Europe, where Idilia Foods sources high-quality cocoa for its products.
From bean to cocoa powder
Once the beans arrive at the processing facility, they go through several stages:
- Roasting: Enhances flavour and makes shell removal easier.
- Cracking and winnowing: The beans are cracked, and the shells are separated from the nibs.
- Grinding: The nibs are ground into a thick, rich paste called cocoa liquor.
- Pressing: The liquor is pressed to extract cocoa butter, leaving behind a solid cake.
- Grinding again: The cake is ground into cocoa powder, the final ingredient in many cocoa-based drinks.
Depending on the desired product, the cocoa powder may be alkalized (Dutched) to reduce acidity and deepen its colour and flavour, or it may be left natural for a lighter, fruitier profile.
Cocoa is more than an ingredient—it’s a global journey shaped by climate, soil, variety, and human care. Behind every cup of cocoa lies the work of millions of smallholder farmers, generations of agricultural wisdom, and a supply chain committed to quality and sustainability.
At Idilia Foods, we honour this journey by sourcing responsibly and producing with integrity—so that when you enjoy your next cocoa drink, you can taste not only the richness of the bean, but the story behind it.
Do you want to know more about cocoa? Check out our article about the difference between cacao vs. cocoa.