Fourth Grade
Worksheets
From the Bean to the Bar
Money does not grow on trees. But chocolate does - sort of! Chocolate is made using cocoa beans. Cocoa beans grow on cacao (kuh-KAH-oh) trees. Cacao trees are found in the rain forest. These beans grow inside cocoa pods. It takes five months for the pods to grow. When they are ripe, they are yellow or dark red. Then these hard pods must be split open. There are about 40 cocoa beans inside each pod. There is also a lot of white sticky pulp. These beans are the secret ingredient in your favorite chocolate treat.
Long ago, the Mayans and Aztecs used these cocoa beans to make a special drink. It was called chocolatl. The dried and crushed beans were mixed with water. The Aztecs used to drink this beverage cold. The Mayans, however, drank it hot. But this hot chocolatl was not like our hot chocolate. It was very bitter.
