<P> Cultivation, consumption, and cultural use of cacao were extensive in Mesoamerica where the cacao tree is native . When pollinated, the seed of the cacao tree eventually forms a kind of sheath, or ear, 20" long, hanging from the tree trunk itself . Within the sheath are 30 to 40 brownish - red almond - shaped beans embedded in a sweet viscous pulp . While the beans themselves are bitter due to the alkaloids within them, the sweet pulp may have been the first element consumed by humans . </P> <P> Cacao pods themselves can range in a wide range of colors, from pale yellow to bright green, all the way to dark purple or crimson . The skin can also vary greatly - some are sculpted with craters or warts, while others are completely smooth . This wide range in type of pods is unique to cacaos in that their color and texture does not necessarily determine the ripeness or taste of the beans inside . </P> <P> Evidence suggests that it may have been fermented and served as an alcoholic beverage as early as 1400 BC . </P> <P> Cultivation of the Cacao was not an easy process . Part of the reason was that was due to the fact that, Cacao trees in their natural environment grew up to 60 or more feet tall . When the trees were grown in a plantation however, they grew to around 20 feet tall . </P>

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