A mature cacao pod

A hand holds a mature cacao pod that's been picked from a tree on the plantation. The mature pod is an almond-shaped fruit, wider than an adult hand and yellowish-orange in color. (Learn more)

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The skin of the Criollo cacao pod, which is a deep maroon color when immature, lightens in color as it ripens. The mature cacao pod takes five or six months to develop, growing to about five to twelve inches long and three to four inches wide. The rough, leathery rind is relatively thick. It protects the seeds of the fruit — the part used to make chocolate.

Learn more about South America, Venezuela, cacao, farming, and fruit.

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