VARIETIES OF COCOA 



85 



D. Calabacillo 



The Calabacillo (Fig. 28) is the lowest Forastero 

 variety. It has the shortest fruit and the smoothest 

 fruit-wall of all the varieties of cocoa ; the furrows are 

 very shallow ; the apex is shortly acuminate, sometimes 

 blunt. The beans are very flat, deep violet in colour, 

 and very bitter in taste ; fermentation requires eight 

 days and sometimes even more. 



This variety, though to be found in every cocoa- 



FIG. 28. Forastero, Calabacillo variety.' 



A, typical Calabacillo ; B, the surface of this type is not so smooth and it therefore is more 

 like the Amelonado. 



growing country, is never grown purposely. On the 

 contrary, the planter avoids using Calabacillo seeds, 

 knowing that the quality is very poor and that it 

 ferments slowly. This sometimes makes it even 

 necessary, when the number of Calabacillo fruits 

 harvested is ' rather large, to keep them apart from the 

 others and to have them fermented separately, as they 

 would otherwise delay the fermentation of the whole 

 crop. 



In Venezuela the Calabacillo is called " Trinitario 

 amargo" ("bitter Forastero") or " Cojon de toro " 

 ("bull's testicle"). 



