54 The Fermentation of Cacao 
cent. acetic acid containing from 3 to 5 per 
cent. of alcohol in order to imitate the com- 
position of the fermenting pulp juice. After 
twenty to thirty hours’ digestion of pulped cacao 
at 40° to 44° C. it was observed that the pulp 
had died and shrunk to skinny masses, partly 
separating in small pieces, but mostly still 
firmly adhering to the testa. It appears that 
for bringing about an easy separation of the 
dead pulp from the testa a bacterial enzyme is 
necessary, as in the case of coffee fermenta- 
tion. It was further observed that the amount 
of acetic acid, which entered by osmosis 
through.the testa to the cotyledons, was not 
sufficient to kill the oxidizing enzyme, since the 
freshly cut surface of these seeds rapidly turned 
brown on exposure to the air. On the other 
hand, it was observed that when the freshly 
cut surface of the seeds so treated was moist- 
ened with 4 per cent. acetic acid no further 
change by oxidation took place. In this case 
the oxidizing enzyme was killed. 
It is stated by Hart’ that ‘of late years 
there has been a large amount of inquiry for 
cacao which is but slightly fermented or not 
fermented at all.” This renders it very pro- 
bable that the decomposed juice of the slime 
tissue is not required for the generation of the 
aroma, as was supposed. Indeed, the true 
aroma of cacao is faint before roasting the 
fermented beans. The case is, therefore, 
'«Cacao.”’ Trinidad, 1900, 2nd ed., p. 33. 
