HI 



THE CHEMISTRY OF COCOA 



35 



It is obvious that in some respects the figures of 

 Harrison and Zipperer are widely different. Zipperer, 

 for instance, found in seven sorts of different origin 

 never less than 12 per cent, and sometimes as much 

 as 21 per cent, of albuminoid substances, while 

 Harrison found only 6 per cent. Zipperer never 

 found more than 0'8 per cent of theobromine, and 

 sometimes as little as 0'3 per cent; Harrison found 

 as much as 17 per cent. 1 In the same way the 

 differences in the amount of astringent matter, cocoa- 

 red and mineral matter are important. In reality 

 there is agreement only in regard to the amount of 

 fat and the amount of starch. The differences must 

 probably be attributed to the use of different methods 

 of analysis. The imperfection of many of these 

 methods has already been mentioned, especially those 

 for the determining of theobromine, caffeine, astringent 

 matters and cocoa-red. 



Cocoa -fat or Cocoa -butter. One half or even a 

 little more of the total weight of the marketable bean 

 consists of a fat, generally called cocoa-butter. This 

 substance has an important commercial value, and is 

 used in the chocolate industry as well as in the making 

 of perfumes, and for pharmaceutical purposes. 



It is a yellowish- white, rather firm fat with an 



1 As regards theobromine, Zipperer's figures are doubtless too low, and 

 Harrison's figure may be correct. 



