BEVERAGES 117 



Microscopic Characters are important. Soak leaves in 

 hot water, when they are easily laid out flat on a slide, and 

 examined* The tea leaf has a serrated margin (but not 

 quite to the stalk), the primary veins run out from the 

 midrib nearly to the margin and then loop: possesses 

 stomata and long hairs on the under surface, and internally 

 shows long branched cells, called " idioblasts." The apex 

 of the leaf is described as notched or emarginate. Average 

 size, i in. to 2 in. by J in. to 1 in. 



Fresh v. Exhausted Leaves. 



Total Ash Soluble Ash Alkalinity K a O 



Fresh 4-8 to 7% 2-8 to 4 % 1-3 to 2% 



Exhausted 4-4 % 07 % 0-2 % 



COCOA. 



Cocoa is the prepared seed of Theobroma cacao and allied 

 trees,, growing in the West Indies, Mexico, Brazil, etc. 

 The seeds are contained in a pod packed in a pulpy 

 substance. Each pod holds 25 to 30 seeds. The ripe pods 

 are allowed to ferment, when the seeds are easily separated. 

 These are then dried in the sun, or in ovens, roasted in iron 

 cylinders, cracked by machinery, and the husks separated 

 from the cocoa beans or " nibs." The nibs are then 

 ground, but either some of the fat has to be removed or 

 some diluent (as starch or sugar) added before they can 

 be made into a powder. A further treatment is to add 

 alkali, which may be potassium carbonate or the sodium 

 or ammonium salt. The added alkali emulsifies the fat 

 and saponifies any free fatty acid, so that on addition of 

 hot water there is less tendency for the fatty globules to 

 separate the so-called " soluble cocoa." Cocoa contains 

 the following : moisture, fat, starch, theobromine, proteins, 

 cellulose, and mineral matter (including phosphates). 



Moisture. Dry 2 grm. in water-oven. In raw cocoa, 

 4-5 per cent ; commercial, 8 to 13 per cent. 



Fat is estimated by the Soxhlet process ; 51 per cent in 

 raw cocoa and about 30 per cent in prepared. It is also 

 known as cacao butter, or oil of theobroma of the B.P., 

 and is used for suppositories. It is yellowish in colour, and 

 contains stearin, olein, and theobromine. Melting point 



