ioo The Fermentation of Cacao 



to the different districts in which the cacao is 

 grown, the variety of beans treated, and the 

 method of gathering. It will, however, be 

 necessary for planters to test the different lots 

 as to taste, &c., in the same way as the tea- 

 planter does. 



The time required for oxidation depends on 

 the temperature employed and the variety of 

 the bean to be cured. The most suitable 

 temperature to produce a good quality is from 

 40 to 45 C. (104 to 1 13 F.). I do not men- 

 tion any definite time, as I do not wish to 

 encourage planters to work by rule of thumb ; 

 the best degree of oxidation and the test by 

 tasting can alone determine this point. At 

 Boa Entrada I used to ferment the beans from 

 two to three days. 



The essential principle underlying the 

 method I introduced at Boa Entrada is not 

 based on the oxidation chambers, but on the 

 fact that what is known as cacao fermentation 

 consists of two essentially different processes. 

 The first leads to the acidification of the beans, 

 which object is best attained by exposing the 

 freshly gathered beans to conditions under 

 which the sugar contained in the fruit pulp 

 adhering to the beans becomes converted 

 into alcohol, and the latter is then converted 

 into acetic acid. We must, therefore, provide 

 conditions favourable to alcoholic and acetic 

 fermentation. I shall later on show that 

 this can be done in a more practical manner 



