Study: cocoa originated in South America, not Mexico
11-03-24
A group of scientists has traced the origin, domestication and use of cacao and reaffirms that the plant (Theobroma cacao) did not originate in Central America, but rather in South America, details a study published Thursday (07.03.2024) by the journal Scientific Reports.
T. cacao is a tropical evergreen tree that produces large oval capsules with cocoa beans inside, which are used to make chocolate, liquor and cocoa butter.
Origin located in Ecuador
The researchers analyzed residues detected in more than 300 pre-Columbian pottery dating back almost 6,000 years from South and Central America. The idea was to find traces of cacao DNA and three related chemical compounds, including caffeine.
Following their analysis, the scientists discovered that the rapid spread of cacao along trade routes after its domestication occurred more than five millennia ago in Ecuador. The evidence shows the spread of cacao along the Pacific Northwest coast of South America and then through Central America, until it reached Mexico 1,500 years later.