Cocoa Research Institute

10:56PM 24 July

Today we drove to Koforidua which was about a 5 hour drive from Cape Coast. We stopped at the Cocoa Research Institute where we learned about the initiatives being taken to help in the production of cocoa beans. One of the main things researched is cures for a disease called Swollen Shoot Disease, which can infest cocoa trees. This plant disease can limit the plant's production of cocoa pods from well over 200 a year to about 5. The tour of the facility was great and we learned so much about cocoa. For example, cocoa beans can be used for soap, lotion, of course chocolate, vinegar, oils, and many other uses. Ghana is the second largerest producer of cocoa beans (number 1 being Cote d'lvoire). We walked through the rows of trees growing different types of beans. The tour guide picked a bean from a tree, cracked it open, and let us taste the inside. It was delicious! I told him that stores should sell the beans just like that as a fruit. The inside held many beans that are covered in white "meat". It is slimy in texture and the taste is citrusy. Reminded me of mango. And yet, these beans, once fermented and dried out, become chocolate. We also saw coffee beans straight from the vine. That was the first time I had ever seen anything like that. The coffee, beans, when ripe, are red. And if you gently slice the berry looking shell with your teeth, you can get to the bean that lies in the middle. It is light green in color and tastes sweet but with a hint of a nutty taste.

During this tour at the research institute, we also learned that Ghana exports about 75% of it's cocoa beans. But it does not export any chocolate. Japan purchases 80% of the Ghanaian cocoa bean export. However, they act as a middle man and sell the beans to then Switzerland, and other chocolate economies.