- Origin
- Amazon basin; first domesticated in present-day Ecuador and later in Mesoamerica; Theobroma cacao
Central America and the Caribbean · Food · № 30
Theobroma cacao
Food · Central America and the Caribbean
Cacao
Theobroma cacao
The seeds are the basis of cocoa and chocolate and contain theobromine and some caffeine. Health claims do not make cacao a treatment.
Safety notes
Contains stimulants; take care if you are sensitive to caffeine. Chocolate products are often high in sugar and fat.
Preparation
Fermented, dried beans are roasted and ground. In Mesoamerica cacao was traditionally prepared as a drink.
Use in traditions
The Mayo-Chinchipe culture domesticated cacao at least 5,300 years ago. Residues of cacao drinks from about 1900–1750 BCE have been found in Mesoamerica; the word comes from Maya 'kakaw' and Nahuatl 'cacahuatl', among others.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Natural skin and hair care
Attributed effects
Moisturising.
Preparation and amount
External: cocoa butter in coconut balm.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Salve and balmPowder and kitchen