COCOA-GROWING COUNTRIES 471 



Though these facts would seem to indicate that in 

 Central America conditions were favourable for cocoa- 

 growing, still in none of these countries has it become 

 an important business, and only from Costa Rica a 

 small amount is yearly exported. 



On the other hand, though the export is very small 

 and Central America does not play a role of any 

 importance from a commercial point of view, the 

 production for home consumption is not unimportant, 

 the inhabitants of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, 

 Nicaragua, and Costa Rica being large cocoa drinkers. 



The demand for cocoa is therefore considerable in those 

 countries, and especially for the home-grown produce. 



The Central American people do not like the cocoa 

 from abroad. The Ecuadorian cocoa, which is imported 

 to satisfy the krge demand, is regarded as decidedly 

 inferior to the home-grown cocoa, while the fine 

 chocolate- and cocoa-brands from Europe are not at all 

 appreciated. 



The people want the Central American cocoa, and 

 by preference the produce of their own country. The 

 Nicaraguan considers the Nicaraguan cocoa as being the 

 best ; the man in Mexico the Mexican cocoa. 



High prices are paid for it on the local market 

 much higher than the produce ever could fetch on the 

 European market. 



Preuss l gives the following interesting figures of 

 prices paid in 1900 on the local retail market in 

 Managua (Nicaragua) for different Central American 

 kinds : 



s. d. 



1 lb. Nicaragua . . . . . . .18 



1 Salvador . .17 



1 Soconusco (Guatemala and Mexico) . .17 



1 Cauca (Columbia) . . . . .15 



These prices are certainly very high, but the Central 

 American pays them, anxious to drink real cocoa. 

 What we are consuming under that name would not 



1 Preuss, Expedition, p. 270. 



