Características del Cacao Nacional

Abstract

For centuries Cacao Nacional was grown exclusively in Ecuador and its plump, good quality beans became highly prized by chocolate manufacturers around the world. But, with the introduction from Trinidad in 1890 of another cacao, known as Trinitario, interest in Cacao Nacional began to wane. Since the early 1900, few plantings of pure Cacao Nacional have been made and the world market, regrettably enough, is gradually loosing one of its grand old flavored cacaos. The literature on cacao contains few references to Cacao Nacional. This note describes its botanical relationships, growth characteristics and its flowers and fruits.