82 The Fermentation of Cacao 



The condition of the cacao beans at this stage 

 corresponds to that of the tea-leaves after 

 rolling, and the increased acidity of the beans 

 was ascertained by analysis in the same way 

 as was done in the tea fermentation experi- 

 ments. 



If the term cacao fermentation be intended 

 to express the alcoholic and acetic fermentation, 

 it is certainly quite correctly applied, but this 

 is not the case if it be extended to the process 

 by which the reddish-violet -colour of the con- 

 tents of the beans (i.e., the cotyledons) is 

 converted into brown, and by which the bitter 

 'astringent substances are split up into an in- 

 soluble brown one and a soluble, more or less 

 aromatic compound. If one examines the 

 beans at the commencement of the drying 

 process (after being fermented the beans are 

 at once dried by various methods) one will 

 find the fluid that exudes on fracturing the 

 skin or shell begins to turn brown, i.e., to be 

 permeated by small brown particles, a sign 

 that oxidation has already commenced. This 

 has been confirmed by experiments as follows : 

 Freshly gathered beans, released from the husk 

 of the fruit, were freed mechanically from the 

 fleshy pulp and transferred to a diluted acetic 

 acid solution, until the fluid had penetrated 

 into their interior. During this process the 

 bluish-violet colour of the nibs turned to 

 reddish-violet. It is even sufficient to merely 

 cut through a bean and moisten the cut surface 



