Varieties of Cocoa
1) Criolla:
Pods yellow or red when ripe. Deeply furrowed (10). Markedly warty pointed, Pod walls thick. Seeds large, plumpy and almost round in section. Cotyledons* white or pale. It produces the highest quality of all cocoas. Only small quantities are now available in the world market. The Criolla is again sub divided into
a) Central American Criolla b) Venezuelean Criolla..
2) Amazonian Forastero:
Unripe pod whitish or greenish, after ripening yellow, usually inconspicuously ridged and furrowed. Surface often smooth. End rounded or very bluntly pointed. Pod walls relatively thick and often with, a woody layer difficult to cut seed flattened. Fresh cotyleadons deeply pigmented and dark violet in cross section, usually giving an astringent product. Trees hordier more. vigorous and higher yielder than Criolla type.
3)Trinitario Tario:
Hybrid between Criollo and Forastero. Occurring typically in Trinded. Very heterogeneous and exhibiting a wide. range. of morphological and physiological characters. Colour of unripe pod may be green, red or purple. Riped pod yellow, orange or red. Variable in shape arid wall thickness. Surface ranging from complete smoothness to heavy, sculpturing. Beans range from plump to flat Cotyledon pigments white to nearly black. Hardier and more productive than Criollo.