82 The Fermentation of Cacao 
The condition of the cacao beans at this stage 
corresponds to that ofthe tea-leaves after 
rolling, and the increased acidity of the beans 
was ascertained by analysis in the same way 
as was done in the tea fermentation experi- 
ments. 
If the term cacao fermentation be intended 
to express the alcoholic and acetic fermentation, 
it is certainly quite correctly applied, but this. 
is not the case if it be extended to the: process 
by which the reddish-violet colour of the con- 
tents of the beans (z.e., the cotyledons) is. 
converted into brown, and by which. the bitter 
astringent substances are split up into an in- 
soluble brown one anda soluble, more or less 
aromatic compound. If one examines the 
beans at the commencement of the drying 
process (after being fermented the beans are 
at once dried by various methods) one will 
find the fluid that. exudes on fracturing the 
skin or shell begins to turn brown, i.¢., to be 
permeated by small brown particles, a sign 
that oxidation has already commenced. This 
has been confirmed by experiments as follows: 
Freshly gathered beans, released from the husk 
of the fruit, were freed mechanically from the 
fleshy pulp and transferred to a diluted acetic 
acid solution, until the fluid had penetrated 
into their interior. During this process the 
bluish-violet colour .of the nibs turned to 
reddish-violet. It is even sufficient to merely 
cut through a bean and moisten the cut surface 
