FERMENTATION. ^ 



for the quality of chocolat depends on the maturity of the fruit and on the 

 degree of fermentation it has undergune. The kernels or nibs separate 

 easily from the substance surrounding them and dry by degrees The 

 sour liquor is acid, but good to drink, and an ardent spirit can be 

 distilled from it which is highly inflammable, and of a nice taste. 



This shows that the practice of fermentation was known 

 long years ago and that this species of Cacao (probably a 

 different plant from our Theobroma Cacao,) was used for pro- 

 ducing chocolate. Aublet's work was published in 1775 or 125 

 years ago. It is curious to compare the conclusion come to by the 

 late Dr. Chittenden (viz.) "stewing in its own juice," with the 

 sentence : " The kernels are left in this liquor until the mem- 

 branes have become brown," and to note their similarity, and 

 also my remarks as to the death of the germ or the destruction 

 of vitality within the seed, both of which were conclusions 

 arrived at previous to finding Aublet's description of the process. 

 It has been said by some that we " cannot add anything to the 

 chemistry of Cacao." The thorough enquiry into the subject by 

 Professor Harrison has however shewn us the changes that take 

 place during fermentation, and careful experiment will possibly 

 show the exact temperature required for the proper fermentation 

 of the bean. I am inclined to think from the few experiments 

 I have personally carried out that the heat which occurs during 

 fermentation is not so necessary for a proper preparation as is 

 generally believed. When ascertaining the weight of fresh pulp 

 surrounding the beans, it occurred to me to place the " skinned 

 kernels" and the pulp that had been removed from them together 

 and to allow them to ferment. These were placed in a confined 

 space, and allowed to stand 3 days or 72 hours, and the 

 temperature was only that of the outside air or a mean of 80 

 Fah. Fermentation had taken place and the smell and taste 

 of the liquor instead of being sour, was sweet and agreeable, 

 resembling very much the smell of the " wort" when the brewing 

 of ale is in progress, shewing plainly that diastase was present, 

 probably produced by the alteration of the albumenoid substances 

 contained in the pulp, or in the bean, or by the pulp and bean 

 conjointly. The office of diastase appears to be to effect the 

 conversion of a portion of the starch of the bean into dextrin, 

 and thus to render it soluble, for we know that the same 

 process takes place in the malting of grain, but the process here 

 differs, from the fact that germination is not required to take 

 place but should be prevented. Malt differs from barley insomuch 

 as it contains more dextrin and soluble substances, but rather less 

 starch, cellular matter, and insoluble albumenoids and a smaller 

 proportion of inorganic constituents ; and that there is a similar 

 difference between the unferniented Cacao bean and the fermented 

 one, admits of no doubt. 



