236 The Fermentation of Cacao 
Oleum theobrome is, however, the only 
constituent which is entirely absent from the 
sweatings of the second and third days of 
fermentation ; it must therefore, for purposes of 
analysis, be considered a fixed quantity, and 
the proportions of the sugars, theobromine, 
cacao red, &c., to the fats be gauged in the 
fermented and unfermented beans of the same 
sample, for this is the only way of deciding the 
approximate amount lost from the kernel of the 
bean during fermentation. 
Glucose.--The percentage of this in the 
uncured beans may be said to vary inversely 
with the percentage of sucrose (cane sugar) 
present. The two together form 1 to 1% per 
cent. of the cacao. In the well-fermented 
dried beans there is only a trace of glucose 
present. In other samples it may be found 
that there has been only a slight loss, or per- 
haps even a gain; the reason of this is that 
the sucroses and starches: have been con- 
verted into this sugar, which in its turn has 
not undergone further fermentation, or else 
some of the sugar in the saccharine pulp which 
has a high percentage has diffused in. 
Sucrose.—This is always absent from the 
cured cacao, having been inverted to glucose 
and thus to alcohol and acetic acid. 
Starch.—This is from so per cent. to 12 
per cent. of the cured cacao. There has been 
a slight loss; this is dependent on the degree 
of fermentation, 
