Chocolate industry in the Philippines name given by Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus in 1753 is "Theobroma cacao", is one of the 22 "Theobroma" species. "Theobroma" means “food for the Gods", from the Greek words "theo" (god) and "broma" (food). This species is utilized as raw materials for pharmaceutical products and cosmetics, however, cacao is primarily used for the production of chocolate and cocoa by processing the beans. In the Filipino language, chocolate is translated as "tsokolate", which is also a hot chocolate drink made from "tablea". "Tablea" are cacao tablets made from roasted and ground cacao nibs molded into rounds or tablets traditionally used in
Cabécar people are among the tallest trees often found in Cabécar tropical home gardens. Lower strata include permanent crops such as coffee ("Coffea arabica") and cacao ("Theobroma cacao"). The lowest stratum is characterized by medicinal plants, shrubs, and tubers, including chili pepper ("Capsicum annuum"), manioc ("Manihot esculenta"), and tiquisque ("Xanthosoma violaceum"). The Cabécar maintain their tropical home gardens by removing undesired underbrush to allow for growth of wild species that can also be harvested to supplement Cabécar everyday needs. Cabécar subsistence farmers practice rotating slash-and-burn agriculture for basic food requirements. This technique is employed during the driest month to clear dense underbrush