Theobroma cacao L.

Theobroma cacao L.. Theobroma cacao is a small evergreen tree in the Malvaceae family. Its seeds—cocoa beans when dried and fermented—are used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa powder, cocoa butter and chocolate. Although the tree is native to the tropics of the Americas, the largest producer of cocoa beans in 2022 was Côte d'Ivoire.