If you haven’t seen a cacao pod, it is unlike how you imagined.  The pods are 5-12 inches in length and are oblong shaped. They have a very short thick stems and attach themselves to the trunk of the tree instead of the branch.

Almost all pods, when they are ripe turn from light green to yellow.   The pods have a bumpy thick outer texture.  But don’t let the looks deceive you, because what is inside is the heart of chocolate.