THEOBROMA CACAO

FAMILY :: MALVACEAE

CHOCOLATE, COCOA: A tropical tree whose seeds are the source of commercial chocolate.

This tree is at its northern limit for commercial growth in Puerto Vallarta. It loves shade and warmth and does not like wind at all. Naturally, it grows under a jungle canopy with lots of moisture. It is a heavy feeder and requires frequent fertilizing and watering and it grows very quickly, up to about 2 meters a year. It fruits in the 4th or 5th year.

Medicinally, chocolate is considered a stimulant and an aphrodisiac. The stimulating properties of chocolate are documented and well known but the aphrodisiac qualities are in dispute by some because they do not realize that the component of chocolate responsible for the reported aphrodisiac effects, Phenethylamine (PEA), is rapidly destroyed in oral consumption by MAO, lleading curious experimenters with the obvious solution of ingesting MAOIs simultaneously. …Look it up….
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