50 The Fermentation of Cacao 
The flavour of the fermented beans is still far 
different from that of the prepared cacao pro- 
duct, which is produced by roasting the fer- 
menting beans ; hence a part of the taste must 
be due to changes caused by the heat of the 
roasting process, : 
The presence of oxidizing enzymes in the 
seeds of cacao can be proved by the usual 
reaction. Upon moistening a freshly cut 
section of cacao seed with tincture of guaiacum' 
resin, just after taking the seed from the ripe 
fruit, a blue colour is rapidly produced, first 
and most intensely in the chalaza of the embryo 
and gradually spreading over the entire seed 
tissue; the placenta, also, soon shows an intense 
blue colour. When a cross section through 
the whole fruit is moistened with guaiacum 
tincture, the chalaza of the embryo and the 
interior soft stratum of the fruit shell become 
rapidly and intensely blue, then follow in order 
the colouration of the convolutions of the 
cotyledons of the seed and the tissue of the 
hard outer shell. Finally the whole surface 
of the sections of the seed and the exposed 
tissue of the testa become blue; but the slime 
tissue or pulp around the testa remains perfectly 
colourless, presenting a most striking contrast. 
If the tissue of the seed is crushed with some 
water in a mortar, the filtered liquid will show 
no blue colouration on addition of guaiacum 
tincture and shaking with air, while the un- 
. Lignum vite —H.H.S. 
