Get Set
Question 1
Chocolate is made from cocoa. The cocoa is obtained from the cacao tree. Similarly, the products given below are also obtained from plants. Match the products with their sources.
| Sl. No. | Column A | Column B |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | chewing gum | grapes |
| 2. | ketchup | orchid |
| 3. | vanilla | chicle |
| 4. | cola | tomato |
| 5. | raisins | kola nut |
Answer
| Sl. No. | Column A | Column B |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | chewing gum | chicle |
| 2. | ketchup | tomato |
| 3. | vanilla | orchid |
| 4. | cola | kola nut |
| 5. | raisins | grapes |
Quick Quiz
Question 1
Cacao is made from the beans of cocoa tree. True or False?
Answer
True
Question 2
Name the major cocoa-producing regions
Answer
The main cocoa-producing regions are in the countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea in western Africa, south-east Asia, eastern Brazil, and the Caribbean mainland and a few islands.
Question 3
Ghana's economy is based on (food-/cash-) crop agriculture.
Answer
Ghana’s economy is based on cash-crop agriculture.
Question 4
The ............... wind is harmful for cocoa cultivation.
Answer
The Harmattan wind is harmful for cocoa cultivation.
Question 5
What is the colour of cocoa pods?
Answer
The colour of cocoa pods is bright yellow.
Fill in the blanks with the correct answers
Question 1
The world’s largest cocoa-producing country is ...............
- Venezuela
- Malaysia
- Ghana
- Nigeria
Answer
Ghana
Question 2
............... is the capital of Ghana.
- Cairo
- Accra
- Harare
- Tripoli
Answer
Accra
Question 3
The cacao tree needs ............... and ............... climate.
- hot, dry
- cold, dry
- cold, wet
- hot, wet
Answer
hot, wet
Question 4
The ripe cocoa pods are harvested by ...............
- tumbadors
- jackaroos
- gauchos
- cowboys
Answer
tumbadors
Question 5
A ............... is used to split open the cocoa pods.
- sword
- machete
- nut-cracker
- sickle
Answer
machete
Write True or False
Question 1
Cacao tree is a native of Central and South Asia.
Answer
False
Corrected statement — Cacao tree is a native of Central and South America.
Question 2
Ghana is located in the temperate region, and hence provides suitable climate for cocoa cultivation.
Answer
False
Corrected statement — Ghana is located in the tropical region, and hence provides suitable climate for cocoa cultivation.
Question 3
Cacao is cultivated on large farms.
Answer
False
Corrected statement — Cacao is cultivated on small farms.
Question 4
Cacao seeds are first grown in nurseries and then transplanted in the farms.
Answer
True
Question 5
Cacao powder is obtained by grinding cocoa-nibs.
Answer
True
Give reasons for the following
Question 1
The cacao trees are pruned to a height of about six metres.
Answer
The cacao tree, when mature, grows to a height of about nine metres but the trees are pruned to a height of about six metres so that the cocoa pods can be plucked easily.
Question 2
There has been decrease in cocoa production in Ghana.
Answer
There has been decrease in cocoa production in Ghana due to following reasons:
- predominance of old trees
- lack of disease control
- bad farm management
- lack of government incentives
Answer these questions
Question 1
Name five cocoa-producing countries.
Answer
The five cocoa-producing countries are —
- Ghana
- Togo
- Nigeria
- Indonesia
- Malaysia.
Question 2
Mention the climatic and soil conditions required for the growth of cacao trees.
Answer
Climatic requirements —
- The cocoa trees need hot and wet climate but temperature should not exceed 27°C.
- Annual rainfall should be about 150 cm and it should be well distributed throughout the year.
- The trees can tolerate a short dry season but are sensitive to prolonged droughts.
- The cacao tress when young require much heat but it should be protected from direct sunlight.
- Strong winds are harmful as they may blow away unripe pods.
Soil conditions —
- The cocoa trees can grown on a wide range of soils, provided they are fairly deep and well drained.
- Loamy soil is ideal.
Question 3
During which times of the year is cocoa harvested?
Answer
There are two harvesting seasons. The more important one is during the dry season, i.e. from September to January. The other harvesting season, known as the mid-crop, is from May to July.
Question 4
Why are cocoa beans fermented?
Answer
Fermentation removes the unpleasant bitter taste of the fresh beans and also stops the seeds from germinating. During this process the typical chocolate flavour develops and the beans become brown.
Question 5
How is cocoa-butter made? How is it useful?
Answer
The cocoa beans are cleaned and roasted. The roasted beans are run through a machine which cracks them. The leftover kernels are called cocoa-nibs. The cocoa-nibs are ground to powder. The heat produced due to grinding melts the cocoa-fat, also called cocoa-butter.
The cocoa-butter is useful for making chocolates. It is also an important raw material for the manufacture of cosmetics, drugs and some chemicals.
Question 6
Name five countries where cocoa beans are exported.
Answer
Five countries where cocoa beans are exported are —
- The USA
- Germany
- The Netherlands
- France
- Spain