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Brazilian Cacao Foodways

Specialised

Cacao is AMERICAN, and its wild relatives are Amazonian — Brazil is part of its native range, though the domesticated crop reached Bahia from Pará in the 18th century. The BAHIAN CACAO COAST around Ilhéus and Itabuna made Brazil a leading producer until WITCHES’ BROOM disease arrived in 1989 and destroyed the industry; the CABRUCA system of growing cacao under thinned Atlantic forest is now a conservation as well as an agricultural practice, and a fine-flavour and bean-to-bar sector has rebuilt around it, alongside wild Amazonian cacao and cupuaçu.

Atlas — where and when

Where in the world

Communities and languages

Languages: Portuguese

What is recorded

  • Cacao is native to the Americas with wild relatives in Amazonia. The Bahian cacao industry was devastated by witches’ broom disease from 1989. The cabruca system of cultivation under thinned Atlantic forest functions as both an agricultural and a conservation practice. documented
  • Witches’ broom disease reaches the Bahian cacao coast and destroys the industry. documented

Recipes

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