BEVERAGES 79 



the removal of a considerable portion of the fat naturally con- 

 tained in the bean. 



In manufacturing cocoa and chocolate, the dried beans are 

 roasted at a temperature of 250 to 275 F. for a short time in 

 rotary drums. The beans are then cracked and the skins re- 

 moved by an air blast, after which the beans are ground into 

 cocoa powder. Sweet chocolate consists of cocoa powder to 

 which are added sugar, spices, starch, flavors, and other adul- 

 terants. Chocolate, whether of the sweet or bitter sort, there- 

 fore, contains all of the cocoa fat originally present in the 

 bean. Plain or bitter chocolate is the firm mass obtained by 

 grinding the fermented and roasted bean without removing 

 any of the fat. Bitter chocolate is, therefore, merely the ground 

 cacao bean without any further alteration, either by removal of 

 the fat or by the addition of other substances, while cocoa is 

 the original cocoa powder from which a part of the fat has 

 been removed by pressure. 



The total exports of cacao beans from producing countries 

 are about 260,000 tons annually. Of this amount the Gold 

 Coast exports 65,500 tons, while other producing countries 

 range in the following order : Ecuador, St. Thomas, Nigeria, 

 Brazil, Trinidad, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Grenada, 

 Lagos, Ceylon, etc. 



In territory belonging to the United States, cacao is grown 

 to some extent in Porto Rico and the Philippines and experi- 

 ments have also been made with cacao in Hawaii. Conditions 

 for the growth of cacao seem to be quite favorable in Porto 

 Rico and the Philippines. In Hawaii, on the other hand, there 

 is little basis for a cacao industry for the reason that the 

 continued prevalence of the trade winds appears to increase 

 transpiration from the leaves to such an extent that they are 

 unduly chilled and turn brown along the edges. The growth 

 of cacao in Hawaii has not been satisfactory from a commer- 

 cial standpoint, although an excellent quality of cacao has been 

 produced in the neighborhood of Hilo. 



