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Fun Facts: Cacao beans

Cacao Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao)

Cacao Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao)

Cacao Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao)

Cacao Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao)

Cacao Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao)

Cacao Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao)

Cacao Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao)

Cacao Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao)

📖 Fun Facts: Cacao beans (Theobroma cacao) were used to make chocolate, and the ancient Maya and Aztec civilizations valued cacao beans as currency 💰 Can we use chocolate as money?
  • 🍫 Chocolate tree has large dark green leaves that shade the fruit pods which grow directly from the trunk and branches.
  • 🍫 The flesh of the fruit is eaten as a dessert, and the seeds are the raw material of chocolate. Hot chocolate can be made by drying the seeds, roasting, grinding, and adding milk.
  • 🍫 This exotic rare tree makes a gem of a houseplant collection.


🛒Get your own Chocolate Tree

#Fun_Facts #Food_Forest

JOIN 👉 @TopTropicals

Date:

Why this Akee taste of deliciousness always follows me?

Akee fruit, Ackee

🥘 Why this Akee taste of deliciousness always follows me? Definitely the favorite fruit (it's actually a vegetable).

Can't wait for the next crop this year 😼

📖 Fun Fact: Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica and is a key ingredient in the traditional Jamaican dish, ackee and saltfish. However, it must be properly ripened and cooked due to its toxic properties when unripe.

‼️ Check out our previous post about Akee.

📚 More about Akee

🎥 YouTube Recipe: How to cook perfect Akee?

🛒 Grow your own Akee tree

#Food_Forest #Nature_Wonders #Recipes #Fun_Facts

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

Three tropical plants that help you to stay young

Longevity Spinach - Gynura

Longevity Spinach - Gynura

Amlak, Otaheite Gooseberry fruit

Amlak, Otaheite Gooseberry fruit

Noni fruit

Noni fruit

🌱 Three tropical plants that help you to stay young.
  1. Longevity Spinach - as the name suggests, this is one of the superfoods, and it lowers cholesterol. The leaves and young shoot tips can be used fresh in salads, steamed, used in stir fry, stews, and soups. Just add them at the very end. Recipes here 🥣
  2. Amlak, or Otaheite Gooseberry - fruit is a major ingredient of Chavyanprash, a popular Ayurvedic tonic. It is the richest source of vitamin C. Makes a perfect lemonade.
  3. Noni - a world-famous medicinal fruit. The noni juice works on a cellular level and rejuvenates nearly every system in the body. Large leaves, very tropical look, quick to fruit... This is a perfect tree for container and indoors. PDF: Noni's health benefits (Tropical Treasures Magazine).


⚕️ Discover more medicinal plants

#Food_Forest #Remedies

TopTropicals.com
We Grow Happiness

Date:

How June plum can fruit itself to death: look at this heavy load!

DWARF June plum, Ambarella (Spondias cytherea)

🍈 How June plum can "fruit itself to death": look at this heavy load!

This exciting fruit tree will amaze you with its ability to fruit abundantly at a young age and small size. This is a DWARF variety of June plum, or Ambarella (Spondias cytherea).
  • ✳️ Grows as a compact 6-7 ft tree.
  • ✳️ Very aromatic fruit, Its feel and juiciness resembles that of a mango (it's Mango's close relative) but with completely different, delicious flavor.
  • ✳️ Expect heavy fruit production within a year. Starts fruiting in winter and holds the fruit up to 6-8 months and more.
  • ✳️ Perfect containerDWARF variety of June plum, or Ambarella (Spondias cytherea). fruit tree.


🛒Order online

#Food_Forest #Nature_Wonders #Container_Garden

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

Did you know that ice cream actually grows on a tree?

Did you know that ice cream actually grows on a tree? Did you know that ice cream actually grows on a tree? Did you know that ice cream actually grows on a tree? Did you know that ice cream actually grows on a tree?
🍦 Did you know that ice cream actually grows on a tree?

🫛 Ice Cream Bean Tree (Inga edulis) - fast growing shade tree with wonderful fruit that kids love! 👯‍♀️

  • ✳️ Bean pods up to 3 ft long contain sweet, juicy, white pulp that has a soft cotton wool texture and tastes of vanilla ice-cream.

  • ✳️ The fruit has fantastic health benefits. It contains up to 25% sugar, 10% protein, 5% fiber, vitamins C, A and E, and minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and zinc. The protein content is two times higher than that of a banana!

  • ✳️ A mature tree will produce around 100 fruits in a season. Seedlings start fruiting within 3-4 years.

  • ✳️ Fast growing, umbrella-shaped tree, 20 ft tall and almost as wide, provides plenty of shade. This is our favorite tree when we need to create shade quickly.


🛒 Shop Icecream Bean Tree

#Food_Forest #Nature_Wonders

TopTropicals.com
We Grow Happiness

Date:

Did you know that ice cream actually grows on a tree?

Ice Cream Bean Tree (Inga edulis)

Ice Cream Bean Tree (Inga edulis)

Ice Cream Bean Tree (Inga edulis)

Ice Cream Bean Tree (Inga edulis)

Ice Cream Bean Tree (Inga edulis)

Ice Cream Bean Tree (Inga edulis)

Ice Cream Bean Tree (Inga edulis)

Ice Cream Bean Tree (Inga edulis)

🍦 Did you know that ice cream actually grows on a tree?

🫛 Ice Cream Bean Tree (Inga edulis) - fast growing shade tree with wonderful fruit that kids love! 👯‍♀️
  • ✳️ Bean pods up to 3 ft long contain sweet, juicy, white pulp that has a soft cotton wool texture and tastes of vanilla ice-cream.
  • ✳️ The fruit has fantastic health benefits. It contains up to 25% sugar, 10% protein, 5% fiber, vitamins C, A and E, and minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and zinc. The protein content is two times higher than that of a banana!
  • ✳️ A mature tree will produce around 100 fruits in a season. Seedlings start fruiting within 3-4 years.
  • ✳️ Fast growing, umbrella-shaped tree, 20 ft tall and almost as wide, provides plenty of shade. This is our favorite tree when we need to create shade quickly.


🛒 Shop Icecream Bean Tree

#Food_Forest #Nature_Wonders

TopTropicals.com
We Grow Happiness

Date:

How to make exotic fries from beautiful Cassava Tree (Yuca Root, Tapioca)

Cassava Tree (Yuca Root, Tapioca) - Manihot esculenta

🍟 How to make exotic fries from beautiful Cassava Tree (Yuca Root, Tapioca).
  • ▪️ Cassava (Manihot esculenta), also called Yuca Root, Manihot, Tapioca - is an exotic tropical root vegetable plant. The fries are more delicious than any fries you every tried!
  • ▪️ Besides culinary value, it is simply a stunning little tree! Don't be shy to harvest the roots - this plant is easy to regrow from cuttings, so you can have your crops year round.


❗️Don't confuse Yuca Root (Cassava) with Yucca Plant from the Agave family - a no-go in the culinary world - you definitely don't want to cook that up for dinner!

📚 Learn more about Yuca Root

🍲 Cassava Fries Recipe

🛒 Order Cassava plant online

#Food_Forest #Recipes

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

What is number one tree-grown vegetable?

Akee fruit, Ackee

🥘 What is number one tree-grown vegetable? Akee is a curious Jamaican fruit that is actually a vegetable growing on a tree! The fruit makes a delicious nutritious meal tasting like eggs and potatoes 🥚🥔
  • 🔺This showy fruit is a close relative of Lychee, Longan, and Rambutan.
  • 🔺 Akee tree is easy to grow, undemanding, fast growing, and fruits right away. Sometimes it fruits twice a year!
  • 🔺 Akee fruit must be picked after the fruit has opened naturally so the flesh is fully exposed to light.
  • 🔺 The white arils are best parboiled for a few min and then lightly fried in butter. Then they are really delicious!


📚 More about Akee

🎥 YouTube Recipe: How to cook perfect Akee?

🛒 Order Akee tree online

#Food_Forest #Nature_Wonders #Recipes

TopTropicals.com
We Grow Happiness

Date:

How to get Barbados Cherry Mini Version

Malpighia Nana - Dwarf Barbados Cherry

🍒 How to get Barbados Cherry Mini Version. Still equal to 65 oranges in Vitamin C!

Malpighia Nana - Dwarf Barbados Cherry, is a cute dense shrub that some garden enthusiasts grow as a bonsai, but not everyone knows that its fruit are not only edible, but much sweeter than regular Barbados Cherry we showed you earlier.

Dwarf Barbados Cherry is perfect exotic fruit that you can grow even on a windowsill!

📚 Growing Barbados Cherry in container

🛒 Order online

#Food_Forest #Container_Garden

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

What fruit contains 65 times more of vitamin C than an orange? Now you know - its Barbados Cherry

Barbados Cherry (Malpighia glabra)

🍒 What fruit contains 65 times more of vitamin C than an orange? Now you know - it's Barbados Cherry

Barbados Cherry (Malpighia glabra) fruit has a vitamin C content up to 65 times that of an orange! A single fruit contains the minimum daily recommended vitamin C requirements, as well as vitamins A, B1, B2, and B3, carotenoids and bioflavonoids - great antioxidants.

If you are looing for a compact, but fast growing tree with colorful fruit that starts fruiting right away - plant Barbados Cherry. It will also happily fruit in containers.

📚 Learn more about Barbados Cherry

🛒 Order Barbados Cherry Tree Online

#Food_Forest #Fun_Facts #Container_Garden

🏵 TopTropicals
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