The Fermentation of Cacao 



Victoria. Before the beans that had been 

 fermented in the ordinary manner had cooled 

 down after the first day of sun-drying, they 

 were packed into a cask and covered. On 

 the second day these beans, which were still 

 warm, over 30 C. (86 F.), were again spread 

 out in the sun, and before sunset again treated 

 in a similar manner. In one of the experiments 

 the cacao was damped on the third and fourth 

 day by sprinkling it with water in order to 

 prevent the drying from being too rapid, and 

 to give the oxygen an opportunity of acting 

 on the beans for a longer time at a higher 

 temperature. The cacao thus obtained was 

 tested in Germany and found to be better 

 than that dried in the ordinary way. 1 Estima- 

 tion of the soluble astringent substances con- 

 firmed the fact that, especially in the case of 

 the last experiment, the process of oxidation 

 was more advanced. Although this cacao did 

 not satisfy all the demands that might be made, 

 it nevertheless confirmed the correctness of 

 my assumption, that the oxidation of the 

 astringent substances is an essential point in 

 cacao fermentation. 



I had arrived at this point in my studies, 

 when I returned to Germany in 1900. Before 

 continuing my investigations in the Tropics, I 

 thought it advisable to determine the most 

 favourable conditions for the oxidation of cacao 

 by experiments conducted in Germany. 



1 Dr. A. Schulte im Hofe : " Zur Kakao-Fermenta- 

 tion," Der Troptnpflanzev, 1901, p. 225. 



