Forastero
Forastero (Spanish for “foreigner”) is a variety of the cocoa tree ( Theobroma cacao ) and, along with the Criollo, is the original variant of all cocoa varieties . The Forastero has good yields and is less susceptible to disease and pests than the Criollo. That is why the majority of the cocoa grown and traded in all major producing countries around the world is of the Forastero type. Forastero cocoa has a stronger cocoa taste, but is sometimes bitter or sour and much less aromatic than Criollo cocoa. The Forastero has its origin in the rainforests of the Amazon region , which is why it was called a foreigner in contrast to the Criollo cocoa native to Venezuela. Cocoa varieties from Ecuador , which were consequently also called Forasteros, have since been given the name “Nacional” because of their taste properties.
The forasteros are classified according to their geographical origin as follows:
- Lower Amazon Forastero (Forastero of the Lower Amazon),
- z. B. the variety IFC-1 , which is cultivated in the Ivory Coast
- Upper Amazon Forastero (Forastero of the Upper Amazon)
- z. B. the varieties IMC-67 and Scavina 6, which are important for breeding
- Guyane Forastero (Forastero from Guiana )
See also
literature
- Heinrich Fincke: Handbook of cocoa products. 2nd Edition. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1965
- Motamayor, Lanaud: Molecular Analysis of the Origin and Domestication of Theobroma cacao L. Managing Plant Genetic Diversity, IPGRI 2002, pp. 77-87