HOW IS THE COCOA TREE IN VIETNAM FORMED AND DEVELOPED?

The cacao tree is native to South and Central America but is now commonly cultivated in many parts of the world.

Suitable conditions for the growth and development of cacao trees are tropical regions located within the latitude of 20° North to 20° South of the equator, the temperature for the whole year is ≥27°C, with high air humidity, and annual rainfall from 1500-2500 mm. The soil must be fertile, with good drainage, located at an altitude of less than 700 m above sea level. In the world, cocoa trees are currently grown in 3 main regions: South America, West Africa and Southeast Asia such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Cocoa trees were first introduced to Vietnam by French colonialists in the 19th century but because they did not bring as much profit as coffee, pepper, cashew trees, etc. so they are not allowed to continue planting. Then, in a relatively brief period in the 1980s, the Soviet government sent experts to Vietnam in an effort to develop cocoa trees. However, the dissolution of the Soviet Union shortly thereafter in 1991 put an end to these efforts.

In 2000, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced a long-term program to encourage cocoa production in Vietnam. In 2013, the cocoa planting area in our country reached 20,000 hectares, and the output reached 5,000 tons of beans. In 2020, the cocoa planting area will be increased to 50,000 hectares.

The cocoa variety grown in Vietnam is the Trinitario hybrid, which is a high-quality variety in the top 10% of “flavor” beans worldwide.

Although Vietnam currently accounts for only 0.1% of cocoa production worldwide, Vietnam’s cocoa beans are highly appreciated by the world for their unique taste, which is very different from cocoa beans grown in Africa. In October 2013 at the Salon du Chocolat competition held in Paris, the French capital, Vietnamese cocoa beans were voted the best cocoa beans in Asia-Pacific. And the World Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has included Vietnam in the list of the world’s leading producers of good-tasting cocoa.

In Vietnam, cocoa trees are grown mainly in the southern provinces: Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Binh Phuoc, Ba Ria Vung Tau, Dong Nai, Lam Dong, Buon Me Thuot, Dak Lak. The northern provinces cannot grow this tree

In each different land due to soil characteristics (land, water source, climate, etc.) and different post-harvest processing methods of farmers, the cocoa beans of each region have a different unique taste.

And good cocoa beans are the beginning of creating a delicious chocolate.