CACAO
Cacao(Theobroma cacao) ( Mayan:Kakaw,Nahuatl),or the cocoa plant,is a small ( 4-8m or 15-26 fit tall) evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae(alternatively Malvaceae),native to the deep tropical region of teh America.There are two prominent competing hypotheses about the origins of the original wild Theobroma cacao tree.
One is that wild exaples were originallay distributed from southeastern Mexico to teh Amazon basin,with domestication taking place both in the Lacandon area of Mexico and in lowland South America.But recent studies of Theobroma cacao genetics seem to show that the plant originated in the Amazon and was distributes by humans throughout Centarl America and Mesoamerica.Its seeds are used to make cocoa and chocolate.
The tree is today found growing wilt in the low foothills of teh Andes at elevations of around 200-400m (650-1300 ft ) in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins.It requires a humid climate with regular rainfall and good soil.It is an under story trree,growing best with some overhead shade.The leaves are alternate,entire,unlobed,10-40cm(4-16in ) long and 5-20cm ( 2-8in)board.
Coffee
Cofffee is a widely-consumed stimulant beverage prepared from roasted seeds,commonly called coffee beans,of the coffeeplant.Coffee was first consumed in the 9th century,when it was discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia.From there,it spread to Egypt and Yemen,and by the 15th century"had reached Armenia,Persia,Turkey,and northern Africa.From the Muslim world,coffee spread to Italy,tehn to the rest of Europe,Indonesia and the Americas.Today,coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide.Coffee berries,which contain the coffee bean,are produced by several species of small evergreen bush of the genus coffee.The two most commonly grown species are Coffee canephor ( also known as coffee Robusta ) and Coffee Arabica.These are cultivated in Latin America,Southeast Asia,and Africa.Once ripe,coffee berries are picked,processed,and dried.The seeds are then roasted,undergoing several physical and chimical changes.They are roasted to varying degrees,depending on the desired flavor.They are then groun abd brewed to creae coffee.Coffee can be prepare and presented in a variety of ways.
Coffee has played an importan role in many societies throuhout modern history.In Africa and Yemen,it was used in religious ceremonies.As a result,the Ethiopian Church banned its consumption until the reign of Emperor Manlike II of Ethiopia.It was banned in Ottoman Turkey in the 17th century for political reasons,and was associated with rebellious political activitiesin Europe.Coffee is an important export commodity.In 2004,coffee was the top agricultural export for 12 countries,and in 2005,it was the worlds seventh largest legal agricultiral export by value.
Some controversy is associated with coffee cultivation and its impact on the environment.Many studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumpyion and certain medical condotions; whether the effects of coffee are positive or negative is still disputed.
Durian
The Durian is the fruit of trees from the genus Durio belonging to the Malvaceae,a large family which includes hibiscus,okra,cotton,mallows,and linden trees.Widely known and revered in the Southeast Asia as the "King Of Fruits ",the fruit is distinctive for its large size ,unique odor,and formidable thorn-covered husk.The fruit can grom up to 30 centimeters(12in)lond and 14 centimeters(6in)in diameter,and typically weighs one of four kilograms(2to7lb).Its shape ranges from oblong to round,the color of its husk green to brown,and its flesh paleyellow to red,depending on the species
The edible flesh emits a distinctive odor,strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact.Regarded by some as fragrant,others as overpowerring and offensive,the smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust.The odor has led ti the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in southeast Asia.The durian,native to Brunei,Indonesia,and Malaysia,has been known to the western world for about 600 years.The British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace famously described its flesh as "a rich custard highly flavored with almonds " in the 19th century.The flesh can be consumed at various stages of ripeness,and is used to flavor a wide variety of savory and sweet edibles in southeast Asia cuisines.The seeds can also can be eaten when cooked,The name durian comes from the Malay word duri (thorn) with suffixan.There are 30 recognized Duria species,at least nine of which produce edible fruit.Duria zibetthinus is the only species available in the international market:oher species are sold in their local regions.There are hunderds od durian cultivates;most of them have a common name and a code number starting with "D".Many consumers express preferences fro specific cultivars,which fetch higher prices in the market.
Jackfruit
The jakcfruit( Artocarpus heterophyllus)is a species of tree of the mulbeery family( Moraceae)native to parts of South and Southeast Asia.It is well suited to tropical lowlands.Its fruit is the largest tree borne fruit in the world,seldom less than about 25cm(1oin)in diameter.Even a relatively thin tree,around 10cm(4in)diameter,can bear large fruit.The fruits can be reach 36kg(80lbs)in weight and up to 90cm (36in)long and 50cm (20in) in diameter.The jackfruit is something of an acquired taste,but it is very popular inmany parts of the world.The sweet yellow sheaths aroudn the seeds are about 3-5mm thick and have a taste similar to thet of pineapple,but milder and less juicy.
Mangosteen
The Mangosteen(Garcinia mangostana) is a tropical evergreen tree,believed to have originated in the Sunda Island and the Moluccas.The tree grows from 7 to 25m (20-8-ft)tall.The rind (exocarp) of the edible fruit is deep reddish purple when ripe.Botamnically an aril,the fragrant edible flesh can be described as sweet and tangy,sitrusy with peach flavor and texture.Mangosteen is closely related to other edible tropical fruits such as button mangosteen and lemondrop mangosteen.Botanicallly,it bears no relation with to the mango.
Banana
Banana is the common name for a fruit and also the herbaceous plants of the genus Muse which produce this commonly eaten fruit.They are native to then tropical region of Southeast Asia.Bananas ar likely to have been first domesticated inpapua New Guinea.Todah,they are cultivated throughout the tropics.
Banana plans are of the family Musaceae.They are cultivated primarily for their fruit,and to a lesser extent for the production of fibernand as ornamental plants.As the bananas are mainly tall,upriht,adn fairly sturdy,they are often mistaken for trees,when the truth is the main or upright stem is called a pseudostem,literally meaning"fake stem",whicj fro some species can obatain a height of up to 2-8m,with leaves of up to 3.5m in lenght.Each pseudostem can produce a bunch of yellow ,green,aor even red bananas before dying and being replace by another pseudostem.Bananas are grown in at least 107 countries.In popular culture and commerce,"banana"usually refers to soft,sweet"desert"bananas.The bananas from a group of cultivars with firmer,starchier fruit are called plantains.Banana may also be cut and dried and eaten as a type of chip.Dried bananas are also ground into banana flour.Although the wild species have fruits with numerous large,hard seeds,virtually all culinary bananas have seedless fruits.Bananas are classified either as dessert bananas( meaning ther are yellow and fully ripe when eaten)or as green cooking bananas.Almost all export bananas are the dessert types;however,only about 10-15% of all production is for expoert,with the United State and European Union being the dominant buyers.
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