Cocoa beans are the seeds, contained in a cucumber-like fruit, of the cacao tree, a member of the Sterculiaceae family. The flowers/fruit are borne directly on the trunk(cauliflory) and on thick branches(ramiflory). The yellowish, reddish to brownish fruits (botanically speaking, berries), which are of similar appearance to cucumbers, are divided into five longitudinal compartments, each containing up to 10 seeds (cocoa beans). The cocoa bean consists of the seed coat which encloses the cocoa kernel and almost solely consists of the two folded cotyledons, and the radicle. The cocoa kernel is the principal component for the production of cocoa products. Cocoa is widely grown in West Africa and some parts of South America. The predominant specie of cocoa grown in Nigeria and most West Africa countries is the frosteros species. In the most cocoa producing countries, cocoa is harvested throughout the year and the beans are usually dried immediately after fermentation for safe storage.