It all begins in Tropical grounds
All the chocolate we eat comes from one rather special plant - the cocoa tree - which grew from the Prehistoric times in the wild rain forests of Central America. The first cocoa trees grew wild in the Amazon basin in north Brazil.
This marvellous tree grows in humid, tropical regions, between 10 and 15 degrees north and south of the equator. This zone is often called "the cocoa belt". Cocoa trees require constant warmth and rainfall to thrive. They need to be shaded from the strong tropical sun and sheltered from the wind.
The tree is very delicate when it is young and must be shaded from the hot sun. For this reason, they are planted beneath large shade trees of different species known as "madre de cocoa". In this way cocoa trees don't grow beyond 6-8 meters so that workers can easily reach the pods at harvest time.
Cocoa trees are very... picky
Cocoa trees love high temperatures, humidity and they need protection from the strong tropical sun. They thrive in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, South America and Central America. With pruning and careful cultivation, the trees of most strains will begin bearing fruit in the fifth year.
The cocoa flowers look like those of jasmine or lemon tree. The cocoa pods are shaped somewhat like an elongated melon tapered at both ends, and they can become 30 cm long and 12 cm wide. Cocoa beans can be harvested all year long. In many countries, however, there are two production peaks: November to January and May to July. Harvesting is a delicate operation, as the cocoa tree is too fragile for the picker to climb it. Instead, he uses a long pole equipped with a sharp blade. The maturity of a cocoa pod is measured by its colour change, from green to yellow or from red to orange. Once picked, the fruit is split. Each pod can contain up to 40 beans, which are surrounded by a white pulp called mucilage. Once dried, the beans are washed and after special processes they are packed and shipped to industries all over the world.
Production Countries – Types of cocoa
All around the world, cocoa is grown on small family farms in tropical areas. Most of the world's supply comes from a few West African nations, such as the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. Producing countries are present throughout the "cocoa belt" and include Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Colombia, the Caribbean islands, Jamaica, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. Just as the geography is different, the indigenous beans are different between these various countries. Each has a personality that contributes a certain something in a chocolate blend.
There are three main types of cocoa:
Criollo
The "prince of cocoa" has a very high quality with exceptional flavour and aroma and almost no bitterness. Less than 15 percent of the world's cocoa is criollo, grown mainly in Central America and the Caribbean.
Forastero
It represents most of the cocoa grown in the world and it hardier, more productive and easier to cultivate than criollo. It is used in just about every blend of chocolate that is made. The forastero is to cocoa what robusta is to coffee. It accounts for 85of the world's production.
Trinitario
A third type of cocoa, trinitario, originated in Trinidad. It is a cross between the other two types. The trinitario is the result of a hybridization between the other two families and is named for the island of Trinidad. It combines the delicate savor of the criollo and the force of the forastero.

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Photo from Info-Zentrum Schokolade