Which plant is the botanical source of cocoa beans used to make chocolate?

Theobroma cacao is the botanical source of the cocoa beans used to make chocolate.

Theobroma cacao is a small tropical tree native to the upper Amazon region and cultivated widely in humid tropical areas. Its seeds, commonly called cocoa beans, are found inside large pods that grow directly from the trunk and older branches. After harvesting, the seeds are fermented and dried before roasting and processing.

Chocolate makers use cocoa solids and cocoa butter from these seeds. The species name means “food of the gods,” derived from Greek roots. Cacao cultivation has a long history in Mesoamerica, where Indigenous peoples prepared cacao beverages before European contact. Cocoa beans are seeds rather than true beans, and the fruit pulp surrounding them is also edible and used in some regional products.