CHAPTER XIV 



COCOA FERMENTATION 



Effects of Fermentation. — The necessity for fermenting 

 or sweating cocoa is now generally acknowledged, and it 

 is adopted in nearly every country where cocoa is grown. 

 The principal objects effected by this process are : (1) 

 The removal of the greater portion of the sweet slime or 

 parenchymatous tissue in which the beans are enveloped, 

 (2) the dissociation of the bean from its testa or seed- 

 coat, (3) the strengthening of the testa, (4) the improve- 

 ment of the flavour and colour of the kernel. 



The pulpy envelope of the beans is extremely difficult 

 to remove before it has been subjected to the fermenta- 

 tion process. 



The beans take a much longer time to dry when this 

 has not been removed, and are dark and unsightly in 

 appearance when dried. The dried pulp has hygroscopic 

 properties, and when the beans are exposed to moisture 

 it becomes glutinous and is then more liable to fungus 

 (mould) attacks. 



The separation of the bean from its testa improves its 

 fracture or " break " and facilitates shelling. 



The testas of beans which have been toughened by 

 fermentation are less likely to be broken during the drying 

 process and also during transport, thus rendering the 

 contents less susceptible to mould attacks. 



The astringent and raw, bitter flavour of the fresh 

 beans of many varieties of cocoa is due to the tannin 

 they contain, which is decreased by fermentation. 

 Harrison's analyses of cocoa beans in British Guiana show 

 that fresh Calabacillo beans contain 5 per cent, of tannin, 

 which is reduced during curing to 3" 61 per cent. 



Action of Oxidising Enzjrmes. Loew {Porto Rico Experi- 

 menf Station Beport, 1907) maintains that the change 



122 



