COCOA BUTTER (THEOBROMA CACAO) - BASE OILS
BASE / GENERAL DATA
Information submited: September 16, 2014 Modified: April 3, 2018 By: OperaDreamhouse
Theobroma Cacao also Cacao tree and Cocoa tree, is a small 4 - 8 m evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae native to the deep tropical regions of Central and South America. Its seeds, cocoa beans, are used to make Cocoa mass, Cocoa powder, and chocolate.
The flowers are produced in clusters directly on the trunk and older branches. The fruit, called a Cacao pod, is ovoid, 15 - 30 cm long and 8 - 10 cm wide, ripening yellow to orange, and weighs about 500 g when ripe. The pod contains 20 to 60 seeds, usually called "Beans", embedded in a white pulp. Each seed contains a significant amount of fat (40 - 50%) as Cocoa Butter. Their most noted active constituent is Theobromine, a compound similar to Caffeine.
The flowers are produced in clusters directly on the trunk and older branches. The fruit, called a Cacao pod, is ovoid, 15 - 30 cm long and 8 - 10 cm wide, ripening yellow to orange, and weighs about 500 g when ripe. The pod contains 20 to 60 seeds, usually called "Beans", embedded in a white pulp. Each seed contains a significant amount of fat (40 - 50%) as Cocoa Butter. Their most noted active constituent is Theobromine, a compound similar to Caffeine.
The generic name is derived from the Greek for "Food of the Gods". Theobromagrandiflorum, is a closely related species found in Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Africa and Brazil. Cacao Butter is widely distributed from southeastern Mexico to the Amazon basin. greatest Cacao genetic diversity to a bean-shaped area that encompasses the border between Brazil and Peru and the southern part of the Colombian-Brazilian border. Climate models indicate that at the peak of the last ice age 21,000 years ago, when habitat suitable for Cacao was at its most reduced, this area was still suitable, and so provided a refugium for the species.
The first Europeans to encounter Cacao were Christopher Columbus and his crew in 1502, when they captured a canoe at Guanaja that contained a quantity of mysterious-looking "Almonds". The first real European knowledge about chocolate came in the form of a beverage which was first introduced to the Spanish at their meeting with Moctezuma in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan in 1519.
Cocoa Butter, also called Theobroma oil, is a pale-yellow, edible vegetable fat extracted from the Cocoa bean. Cocoa Butter has a cocoa flavor and aroma.
Cocoa Butter is obtained from whole Cocoa beans, which are fermented, roasted, and then separated from their hulls. The most common form of Cocoa Butter has a melting point of around 34 - 38 °C.
SPIRITUAL PRACTISES DATA
Information submited: September 16, 2014 Modified: April 3, 2018 By: OperaDreamhouse
The Maya believed the Kakaw (Cacao) was discovered by the gods in a mountain that also contained other delectable foods to be used by them. According to Maya mythology, the Plumed Serpent gave Cacao to the Maya after humans were created from maize by divine grandmother goddess Xmucane.
MEDICINE / HEALTH DATA
Information submited: January 19, 2018 By: OperaDreamhouse
Cocoa beans are a high-antioxidant food, since they contains a significant amount of polyphenol and flavanoid antioxidants. In fact, Cocoa beans themselves have been shown to be one of the greatest suppliers of polyphenols in our diets. Some of these antioxidants remain in Cocoa Butter even after it’s separated from the beans solids, which means it’s beneficial for improving immunity, lowering inflammation and improving heart health - all despite the fact it is a once-feared saturated fat.
BEAUTY / COSMETICS DATA
FOOD / COOKING DATA
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Newest mixtures containing Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao):
Raw white chocolate with coconut cream
February 18, 2015
Nourishing body butter
February 4, 2015