CHAPTER XIII. 



Food Value of Cacao, Manufacture, &c. 



LONG series of analyses were published some 

 years ago by P. L. Simmonds in "Tropical 

 Agriculture," but that author remarks, that 

 the results are " not very flattering to chemical 

 science, the analyses being of the most contra- 

 dictory character, and containing discrepancies 

 which cannot be at all reconciled with each 



other" but he nevertheless reduces them as far as he is able to 



an average, as seen in the following table : 



Cacao butter ... ... ... 50 



Albuminoids ... ... ... 20 



Starch ... ... ... 13 



Salts ... ... ... 4 



Theobromine ... ... ... 2 



Miscellaneous ... ... ... 11 







100 



Professor Church's analysis of cured Cacao is quoted in the 

 'Chapter on Fermentation. Theobromine, according to the 

 Professor, " is the active principle of Cacao ; and the taste and 

 aroma are mainly due to an essential oil and to Tannin," and he 

 deems it a milder and less stimulating beveraget han tea or 

 coffee. I doubt much, however, if Cacao of the class he refers 

 to, was that which obtained for it the name of " Theobroma," or 

 Food for the Gods." 



The manufacture of Cacao as now carried out in Europe 

 and America presents a great contrast to the primitive methods 

 of preparation, which methods are found still to exist in the 

 countries producing it. 



The Professor gives four forms of preparation in which Starch, 

 Flour, Sugar, Vanilla, Bitter Almonds, Cinnamon and other sub- 

 stances are used as adulterants, some to form "Soluble Cacao," some 



