Jaguar Cacao

Theobroma bicolor is not just cacao’s less famous cousin. It is a sacred plant with its own personality and superpowers.

The tree Theobroma bicolor is known as jaguar cacao, mocambo, cacao blanco, pataxte, balamte' and many other names. While I often use mocambo when referring to the trees in our yard, here I’ll use the Mayan name balamte', which means jaguar tree in some Mayan dialects. Balamte' was important to the Maya people, with specific references in the sacred Mayan text, the Popol Vuh. In some Maya cultures, balamte' is considered the male counterpart to cacao’s female energy. The two were used together in traditional drinks. In the drink chocolatatole, specially fermented jaguar cacao is processed into a voluptuous foam added to the top of a maize drink.

Balamte' pods (foreground) are bigger and more grooved than cacao pods (background).

The Spanish conquerers thought balamte' seeds to be inferior to cacao and only wanted “the best,” leaving the cacao cousin unknown to Europeans. Many adventurous chocolate makers have rediscovered balamte' and have created chocolate-like product from its beans, usually marketing it as jaguar cacao. The responses of those who try balamte' chocolate generally fall into three categories: it is not as good as real chocolate, it is a bland white chocolate-like novelty confection, or it is a true delight when swirled into cacao chocolate. Having sampled many of these products, I have experienced all of these reactions myself. But through spending time with the trees, I wonder if balamte' doesn’t want to constantly be sized up against its famous relative, to need to bare the substantial weight of the Theobroma name. Balamte' is its own thing and is best considered on its own merits. But still I’ll start where everyone starts, with comparison.

Beautiful branching pattern of Theobroma bicolor, way above my head.

The internet tells me that balamte' trees are understory trees, like cacao. That our oldest tree shot up to twenty feet in three years with no lower branching was a complete surprise. The leaves have a different shape than cacao, and their shape changes as the trees mature. Rose beetles similarly love to munch on the leaves of both species.

Balamte' pods are larger and tougher than cacao pods. Unlike cacao, the pods drop off the tree when ripe and have a distinct scent often compared to durian. Pods straight from our tree smell floral, a bit like jasmine. The pods are thicker than cacao and require more effort to open. I use a pocket saw to neatly cut around the center latitude. Thick and rather woody, the pod shells can be used for planters. I dried and drilled holes in the bottom of some pod-halves for this purpose.

Cutting through the hard pod of Theobroma bicolor with a pocket boy saw.

Once open you find a familiar swirl of seeds of an unfamiliar color: yellowy orange. The seeds are surrounded by much more pulp than cacao seeds, but unfortunately it is just as firmly attached. The pulp tastes like is smells, sweet with a cantaloupe-durian flavor. You can suck on the flesh-covered seeds like cacao. Sadly, I’m not a fan of either cantaloupe or durian, so I much prefer the flavor of cacao fruit. I’ve read accounts that call T. bicolor the most delicious of the Theobroma genus, but in my opinion that honor falls on T. graniflorum, cupuaçu. (Not that I have tried them all - yet.) The fruit flesh is nutritious with significant prebiotic activity, and people in Mesoamerica use it to flavor drinks. Some pulp can be scraped out of the pod after the seeds are removed. I dehydrated this pulp with good, albeit quite fragrant, results.

Theobroma bicolor seeds are larger than cacao seeds, completely white, and are surrounded by a very fragrant yellow pulp that tastes a bit like cantaloupe and durian.

Balamte' seeds do not need to be fermented, since they are not as bitter or astringent as cacao seeds, but I’ve fermented some with regular cacao fermentation. The seed shells are sturdier than cacao and more difficult to winnow off the dried seeds. The seeds inside look like large, white cacao seeds. They are not bitter or astringent, and simply taste kind of bland and raw. They are nutritious, with a macronutrient content different from cacao. They have less cocoa better content: around 25% compared to 50%. They have an impressive protein content around 25% and fiber content around 30%. In short, these are nutritional powerhouses. While balamte' seeds have a small amount of caffeine and theobromine, they may not do as much for your mood as cacao, but they are quality fuel for your body.

palmitic acid oleic acid stearic acid linoleic acid

T. bicolor 39% 35% 14% 9%

T. cacao 25% 33% 33% 3%

Above is the comparison of the approximate composition of lipids from T. bicolor and T. Cacao (cocoa butter).

While I expect my outlook to evolve as I play with this plant, I find it useful to think of balamte' as a super healthy and extremely local nut. The seeds are good roasted, crunchy and mild, and even better seasoned with salt and herbs. Add them to a trail mix, sprinkle them on salads, or bake them in breads. I’ll post recipes for using balamte' seeds as I experiment more. Use them as a chocolate inclusion or add them to the grind to mellow the flavor and boost nutrition. (Note that if you would like to make an all-balamte' chocolate, you will need to add cocoa butter to allow it to flow.)

While at first taste, I’ll admit to wondering if we truly need all four trees we planted simply for a Theobroma novelty: “collect them all.” But on its own merit, discounting Theobroma nepotism, balamte' can be a healthy, and not too labor intensive, part of our locavore lifestyle. Interestingly, as I work more and more with balamte', I find the scent more agreeable and pleasurable. Perhaps I subconsciously associate the smell with the nutritional goodness it portends.

Balamte' excels, and exceeds, cacao by its versatility as a nutritious seed. Its relative blandness allows it entry into meals where cacao may not be welcome. While this could be considered and antihero quality, it has a true superpower cacao does not have: it can make a luxurious and stable foam prized be ancient (and some contemporary) Mesoamericans.

How do people ferment balamte' seeds into that almost living, vibrant foam used on traditional drinks? I would love to learn to do this, but sadly (currently) my only knowledge of the process is academic. I hope to change that. If you have this skill, please let me know! From what I gather, it requires a two-part fermentation of the seeds. The first step is a normal ferment and drying, and the second step is an anaerobic fermentation, where the seeds are buried in the ground and washed with water periodically over the course of four or six months. When done correctly the seeds become chalky and their lipid composition changes. Who speaks Spanish and would be willing to help translate the process as described here?

Stay tuned for more Theobroma bicolor posts… I’m confident this tree has many layers to reveal.

What is your experience with cacao’s jaguar hoa hānau (cousin)? Can you love this plant on its own merits without judging it by its superstar relative?