A COOL SIP OF COCOA

The Magic Bean Tree

Deep in the shady forests of Central America, there grows a funny-looking tree called the cacao. Its trunk sprouts football-sized fruits in colors of reddish brown, green, purple, or yellow.

But inside is magic. Each pod holds 20 to 50 large bean-like seeds, covered in a milky white pulp. These seeds—also called cocoa beans—are where chocolate