UMary Allen
Ukhokho utholakala embewini yesihlahla sikakhokho. Sidinga i-cocoa njengempushana ensundu ngokumnyama kumakhekhe amaningi. Kodwa-ke, siwazi kangcono ukhokho kushokoledi, ngoba unesabelo esikhulu kuwo.
Kukhona noshokoledi ophuzwayo. Inamagama ahlukene: ukuphuza ushokoledi, ushokoledi oshisayo, ubisi lukashokoledi, nesiphuzo se-cocoa yizona ezivame kakhulu. Ngokuvamile udinga ubisi, ngezinye izikhathi amanzi. Bese wengeza i-cocoa powder kanye noshukela ngokuvamile, njengoba isiphuzo sizwakala sibaba kakhulu. Izingxube zikashokoledi ophuzwayo esezilungile ezithengwa abantu abaningi sezinoshukela.
Ivelaphi i-cocoa?
I-cocoa ivela ezihlahleni ze-cocoa. Ekuqaleni zakhula eNingizimu Melika naseMelika Ephakathi. Emvelweni, izihlahla ze-cocoa zikhula njengezihlahla ehlathini lemvula. Akhula aze afike kubude obungamamitha ayi-15 lapho. Zidinga ukushisa okukhulu, ngakho zimila ezindaweni ezishisayo kuphela, okungukuthi, eduze nenkabazwe. Badinga namanzi amaningi.
Ku-biology, izihlahla ze-cocoa zakha uhlobo olunezinhlobo eziningi. I-cocoa manje ikhishwa kwabaningi babo, kodwa ikakhulukazi ohlotsheni olulodwa olubizwa ngokuthi "isihlahla sikakhokho". Ukuze ugweme ukudideka, igama lesayensi layo ngukhokho we-Theobroma.
Ama-Aztec ayesebenzisa izithelo zesihlahla sikakhokho ukuze enze isiphuzo esikhethekile. Abavumbuzi baseMelika kamuva baletha izitshalo ze-cocoa e-Afrika futhi bazilima lapho. Kamuva nabo bafika e-Asia. I-Côte d'Ivoire ikhiqiza ukhokho omningi namuhla, okungukuthi ingxenye yesithathu yayo yonke i-cocoa ekhiqizwa emhlabeni. Kulandele iGhana, i-Indonesia, iCameroon, neNigeria.
Ukhula kanjani ubhontshisi we-cocoa?
Izihlahla zikakhokho zidinga umthunzi. Ehlathini banayo. Emasimini, izihlahla zikakhokho zixutshwa nezinye izihlahla, isibonelo ngamasundu kakhukhunathi, amabhanana, izihlahla zenjoloba, ukwatapheya noma umango. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izihlahla ze-cocoa emasimini azivunyelwe ukukhula ngaphezu kwamamitha amane.
Izihlahla zikakhokho zinezimbali eziningi. Azifakwa impova yizinyosi njengezimbali zethu eziningi, kodwa ngomiyane abancane. Uma lezi ziningi, ungavuna ubhontshisi we-cocoa.
Izihlahla zikakhokho ziqhakaza unyaka wonke ngenxa yokuthi azikho izinkathi zonyaka ezindaweni ezishisayo. Isihlahla sikakhokho kufanele sibe neminyaka emihlanu ngaphambi kokuba siqhakaze okokuqala. Izimbali eziningi zivela cishe eminyakeni eyishumi nambili ubudala.
Isithelo esivuthiwe sifinyelela kumitha ubude, njengamanye amarula esiwasebenzisa esikoleni. Isithelo esisodwa sinesisindo esingaba ingxenye yekhilogremu. Iqukethe i-pulp kanye nembewu efika ku-50. Lezi zibizwa ngokuthi "ubhontshisi we-cocoa".
Uwenza kanjani ubhontshisi we-cocoa?
Izisebenzi zisika izithelo ezihlahleni ngocelemba bazo, imimese emikhulu. Baphinde bavule isithelo ngaso. I-pulp ibe isiqala ukubila ngokushesha, okusho ukuthi ushukela okuwo uphenduka utshwala. Ngenxa yalokho, imbewu ayikwazi ukumila, okungukuthi ayikwazi ukwakha izimpande. Uphinde ulahlekelwe ezinye zezinto ezibabayo.
Ubhontshisi ke ngokuvamile woma elangeni. Khona-ke zisinda cishe uhhafu kuphela. Zivamise ukupakishwa ezikhwameni bese zithunyelwa. Zicutshungulwa kakhulu eNyakatho Melika naseYurophu.
Okokuqala, ubhontshisi wosiwe njengobhontshisi wekhofi noma ama-chestnuts. Ngakho zishiswa kugridi, kodwa empeleni azishi. Kungaleso sikhathi kuphela lapho igobolondo lisuswa khona bese kuphuka izinhlamvu. Lezi zingcezu zibizwa ngokuthi "i-cocoa nibs".
Khona-ke izingono zigaywa kahle emshinini wokugaywa okhethekile, okuholela ekubeni kube nenqwaba ye-cocoa. Ungakwazi ukuwenza ushokoledi. Kodwa ungawakhama futhi uqukathe ibhotela likakhokho. Inqwaba eyomile esele ingagaywa futhi. Yile ndlela yokwenza i-cocoa powder.
Yiziphi izinkinga ezikhona emhlabeni ozungeze ukhokho?
EMelika, i-cocoa itshalwa emasimini amakhulu. Lokhu kunzima emvelweni, ngoba into efanayo ikhula njalo ezindaweni ezinkulu, futhi ngenxa yokuthi umhlaba wemvelo uvame ukunikelwa ngenxa yawo.
E-Afrika, ikakhulukazi imindeni ekhiqiza ukhokho. Nokho, ngokuvamile imikhaya ayikwazi ukuphila ngemali eyithola ngayo. Uhulumeni namavukela-mbuso bakhipha ingxenye enkulu yemali yokukhokhela impi yabo yombango. Kuphinde kube nenkinga yokuthi izingane zivame ukusiza ngakho zingakwazi ukuya esikoleni. Kukhona ngisho ukugqilazwa nokushushumbiswa kwezingane.
Namuhla kunezinkampani ezihlukahlukene ezizibophezele ekuhwebeni ngokulinganayo ngobhontshisi kakhokho. Bafuna ukwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi imindeni ithola iholo elifanelekile abangaphila ngayo ngaphandle kokugqilazwa kwezingane. Kodwa imikhiqizo enjalo ye-cocoa ibiza kancane esitolo.
Enye inkinga isemizileni yokuhweba. Izinkampani ezinkulu, ngokwesibonelo, ziwugodla ukhokho futhi zinethemba lokuthi intengo izokhuphuka. Eqinisweni, ingasukela ku-$800 iye cishe ku-$3,000 ngethani. Nokho, akubona abalimi bakakhokho abazuzayo kulokhu, kodwa abantu nezinkampani ezihweba ngayo.