The cacao tree originated in the Amazon Basin and only grows 20° to the north and south of the equator. The hot tropical climate of Grenada is conducive for this source of the chocolate you love. The cacao pods change colors during ripening. They start as green and evolve toward red, purple or orange. During the harvest, the pods are opened with a machete and the exposed cocoa beans are ripened in the sun for several days. The dried and fermented beans are then exported to chocolate mills for final processing.