Name/Title
StereographEntry/Object ID
2023.055.3.0238Description
A black and white stereograph. Image is of a Cacao tree with several large pods growing off of it. Above the image "T224 (Star)" is printed, below the image "14455T The Eccentric Growth of Cacao Pods, Dominica, British West Indies." is printed, to the left of the image "Keystone View Company COPYRIGHTED Manufacturers MADE IN U.S.A. Publishers" is printed, to the right of the image "Meadville, Pa., New York, N. Y., Chicago, Ill., London, England." is printed. On the reverse the following is printed:
14455
ECCENTRIC GROWTH OF COCA POD, DOMINICA, B. W. I.
The cacao tree is native of America and it was Christopher Columbus who first introduced its products to Europe. From its pods we get our cocoa and chocolate, "food for the gods," according to its botantical name, theobroma cacao. By the end of the 17th century chocolate had become a fashinoable drink in England and other parts of Europe and to-day it holds a place as a favored beverage the world over. The tree bears buds, fruit and flowers all year round, and all at the same time. As we can see, the pods grow out of the stem of the tree and are not unlike a cucumber in appearance. The tree needs a hot climate, a deep, rich soil and much moisture. The pods contain the small cocoa beans which are removed and dried.
The drying is done immediately after the beans are removed from the pod and may be done either by artificial heat or under the tropical sun, which is the more usual method. The beans are then exposed in hollow boxes and are from time to time turned over so that all the bans get the heat.
When roasted and broken up, the bean will make either cocao to drink or choclate to eat. In its natural state it is oily and bitter. Cocoa and choclate rnark high for their food values. Their comparative fuel values in calories per pound are 2,160 and 5,625 respectively. Cocoa is the richer of the two in proteids and carbohydrates; chocolate is the richer in fat. Chocolate is preferable to cocoa not only because of its greater food value but because it contains a very much smaller percnetage of ash, an ingredient not beneficial to the human system.
Copyright by The Keystone View CompanyCollection
Photograph Collection